


What Ifs

by Ykmust



Series: Harry Potter and the Slytherin Heirs [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Crack, Fluff, HP: EWE, I Didn't Kill My Darlings, M/M, Smut, read at your own peril
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-31 04:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8564659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ykmust/pseuds/Ykmust
Summary: Drarry is Life.This is the antidote for Drarry fans if the main story gets (a bit?) hurtful.Usage: Read if in pain, if RL sucks, if life gives you lemons, if you run out of fanfic to read, if you are on your periodDosage: Read 3 times a day, 8 hours each time.New antidote will be released on whim. *** Warning: NOT plot compliant with Harry Potter and the Slytherin Heirs.





	1. Crucio

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilverAngel621](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverAngel621/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Harry Potter and the Slytherin Heirs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8451613) by [SilverAngel621](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverAngel621/pseuds/SilverAngel621). 



> Tom finds out that it is Draco that Harry sees when he nurses Orion in front of the mirror. Or he just find out Harry fancy him. I wanted Tom to know Harry does not like him, and have Harry say it, no matter the consequence.

A house elf Apparated with a loud crack next to Harry, interrupting his idling in the false safety of his own bedroom, his opened book has been lying in his lap forgotten for quite some time.

"Mister Potter, the Dark Lord asks that Mister Potter be in the drawing room." The elf said with a deep bow, which Harry thought to be quite ironic as he slowly focus his attention on the elf. What could possibly be happening this late in the evening, he wondered. Seeing that Harry has not made any movement or acknowledgement, the elf bowed and spoke again, "Master Harry, please you must be to drawing room immediately."

"I heard you the first time, Ditty." Harry lackadaisically gathered his robe around him and stood, and instead of Disapparating away like usual, Ditty was regarding him with large eyes, while keeping her posture in a half bow. It was almost pitiful, but Harry wasn't sure who was really pitiful among the two of them. As Ditty continued to escort him into the hall way and down the stairs to the drawing room, Harry knew for certain that something was up. 

Or rather, the muffled screams and murmur that grew louder as he approached the drawing room told him as much. Harry frowned and sped up his steps, half curious who was being tortured inside and half hoping that he does not know the victim. He found himself also hoping that the victim gets to die soon, and was not at all disturbed by the thought. It had been once and long ago that he would have felt pity and cared, and believed that living is always better than death. In death, there was nothing.

Somehow lost in his own thoughts again, Harry's footsteps faltered into a drag but eventually the hallway has brought him to the drawing room. He still couldn't discern the voice or what the person was trying to say between screams.

As he put his hand on the door handle to push it open, the room went quiet except for soft whimpering and sobs. He stepped into the room and willed himself to glance at the Dark Lord, next to him was Nagini but she moved towards Harry as soon as he was inside the room. Harry carefully turned his gaze to the shivering mess of a man curled up on his sides facing him. He was aware the Dark Lord was scrutinizing his every minute movement, after all, why else would Harry be called here.

Despite his resolution, Harry gasped softly as he took in the wizard's shiny auburn oxford shoes and dark velvet robes, plain but still hinted at the wealth and status of the wizard. It was one set of robes that Harry has set eyes on plenty of times, he remembered, as his eyes traveled up the wizard's body along lean but shivering legs that were clad in dark dress pants. Harry had prepared himself for a twist in his heart as he took in the sheen of sweats and tears on Draco Malfoy's face. Malfoy obviously couldn't control the twitching of his body-which was quite normal after prolonged time under the Cruciatus Curse-but the proud man still tried to school his expressions despite the pain. He looked at Harry when he was not squeezing his eyes shut, between rapid breaths and whimpers he was trying to form words. Which was one admirable feat.

"My-my L-L-Lord-d...," despite the address, the Dark Lord kept his eyes on Harry as he raised his wand. Malfoy was still looking at Harry. "As-as-s-storia... N-n-never Potter!" He managed to choke out. Harry's heart sank as he starts to understand what was happening. He heard rather than saw the smirk and sneer as the Dark Lord spoke again.

"Hush, Draco. It's not your fault, I know," The Dark Lord went on as Draco choked out pleads of 'no more's and 'please's. "But that does not matter, as I have been trying to tell you all evening. CRUCIO!" Harry flinched violently at the sudden shout and scream. He could not shut out Draco's screams or stop looking at Draco's violently shaking and twisting form. He swallowed hard and stood silent. There was nothing he could say or do, watching solemnly was the only respect he could at least pay another person struggling against the crashing pain from a Cruciatus Curse. But it seemed today, being impassive was going to make things worst.

Over the screams of agony, the Dark Lord raised his voice, and spoke in his usual breathy voice. "Well? Harry? What do you feel seeing your love like this?"

Harry tilted his head as he regarded the Dark Lord, contemplating.

Sorrow?

Pain?

Sadness?

Love?

 _My_ love?

Harry's train of thoughts were disrupted as Nagini moved closer and nudged him. Harry blinked as he felt... confused. He realized he was just feeling... numb.

Speaking to no one in particular, "Do I love him?" Harry whispered over Draco's murmurs and coughs during a short respite.

Seeing the unconcerned reactions from Harry, the Dark Lord shrieked in frustration, "Do not play me, _pet._ He's the one you see, isn't he! He's the one you see in the mirror! CRUCIO!" And the high pitched scream started anew. 

Harry watched as Draco weakly writhe and thrash his long legs and slender form on the marble white floor. Soft moonlight shone into the room through patio windows and graced Draco's body, weakly reflecting from his messy silvery blond hair, his sweat droplets on his forehead, his silver line of saliva trailing from the corner of his gaping mouth, to his jaw, to the floor. When the scream died down, soft hums and moans escaped his lips involuntarily as he gasped and choked. Most captivating of all was Draco's eyes, grey panicky eyes, blinking crying eyes, desperately powerlessly meeting Harry's. The visual was almost erotic. Harry wondered if this was what the Dark Lord saw in him when he did this to Harry. Harry shuddered at his momentary unconcerned cruelness and chuckled. Then he realized the room has gone almost eerily quiet save for Draco's hiccups.

"Wha... talk-k..." Draco was trying to speak again, it was starting to get annoying really.

Feeling drained, Harry huffed and looked at the Dark Lord steadily then spoke softly, "Compared to what I feel for you, even my feelings for a speck of dust would be considered  _love_."

Nagini hissed, and that was the only respond Harry received for this uncharacteristic outburst. He glanced again at Draco then turned and left the room with Nagini following. "Do consider casting a Silencio. I was trying to read."


	2. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sex with Moody Voldy didn't end well, he left in frustration and sent Draco to clean after Harry.
> 
> In case you were wondering, Draco didn't blame harry for the Crucio episode... He knew what he got himself into when he accepted the Dark Mark. Does that make sense to you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your kudos! I am really glad you like this story. Thank you for reading!

Harry was lying face down naked and half sunk on his fluffy burgundy bed, with both wrists tied by thin, sparkling, golden strings, held up two feet apart and hovering above the headboard. Not high enough to lift up Harry's head or upper body, but just enough to make it uncomfortable and deter any struggling. As if those thin strings, those beautiful looking evil things, wouldn't cut into Harry's wrists and draw blood at the slightest stretch. Let alone what would happen if he did struggle and pull. Harry was lying flat on his stomach with his head turned to the left, he could see a trail of dried blood from his left wrist to his elbows, no doubt it was the same situation with his right wrist, and tried to distinguish the color of his own blood from the bed cover.

The stinging pain was long gone, replaced by something stronger when the Dark Lord's thick length breached him with little preparation. It had been fast and rough, and solely for the Dark Lord's carnal pleasure. Harry didn't, couldn't, hadn't get hard before the deed was done. Not for the Dark Lord's lack of trying though. Harry had come to know that him liked to make him become undone no matter how sadist the Dark Lord was feeling at the heated moment. He had stroked, pulled, licked and tucked, but Harry remained soft and uninterested. In frustration, the Dark Lord struck him hard across his face and flipped him over. What happened next required little imagination. Pain from his face, overrode by pain from his wrists, overrode by pain from... When the hard girth pounded into him and abused his prostate, he could almost feel pleasure arise from within, interspersed by shots of sharp pain as the golden strings sliced into his tender flesh. His body rocked back and forth, up and down, in tune with the merciless pounding he was forced to take, and the strings allowed no leeway for these movements. Harry recalled the Dark Lord's warm tongue licking up his blood without faltering his pace, leaving a cold clean trail soon replenished with more blood. It was the Dark Lord's favourite binding magic. Thank Merlin for little mercies that the Dark Lord was not forcing him to kneel, Harry shuddered to imagine those deadly pretty things holding his whole upper body up.

Harry counted as the Dark Lord kept taking what he wanted. Was it fifteen... no... Twenty five? When the Dark Lord pulled out, hot cum leaked out of his gaping hole and slid along his perineum, down his scrotum. It would have been visually erotic if his hips were lifted high enough to left the thick white cum drip to the bedding. Obscene was the sight of his stretched pink hole shivering to close itself against the sudden cold air.

The Dark Lord left shortly after. Harry could still feel the burn and tried to lift his hips off his bed but sharp pains from his wrists reminded him he had got no purchase. His arms had gone numb now, not even tingling with needle pain. He was not looking forward to blood returning there.

Harry didn't hear his bedroom door open. Someone walked in silently, well, Harry could guess who. The door softly clicked close. If Harry had heard the click or the rustling of clothes, he didn't show any signs of that. At the lack of acknowledgement, Draco chirped, "Thanks for waking me and Astoria, Potter."

Draco undid the magical bindings with a soft _Finite Incantatem_ and proceeded to apply healing salve on Harry's back with a tenderness that contrasted his words. After a low murmur of _Scourgify_ , soft fingers brushed his ass cheeks apart and cold salve met hot damaged skin. Fingers freely dabbed and stroked his abused hole applying the thick salve, making squishy sounds that was almost deafening in the silent room, save for Draco's steady breathing and Harry's gasping. It was more arousing than whatever treatment Harry had received tonight. Harry grimaced and buried his face into the fluffy bed, blood was returning to his arms with needle sharp pain, and Draco, examining his arms now, tutted at the sight of dried blood and cast a quick _Episkey_.

As Draco wiped Harry's face with a warm wet cloth, Harry finally felt human enough to face the awkwardness he had not really overcome despite how many times his ragged body had been put on display. "Draco," Harry lifted his head further to the right trying to smile at his carer, and received a brief stern look for his efforts. Draco shifted closer with one knee on the bed and peered close to continued checking Harry's body for any bruises and injuries that might need healing. His breath tingling Harry's skin.

"Don't look so solemn, Draco, it's not that bad this time," Harry sighed as he slowly flipped himself onto his back and propped against the headboard. Draco pulled a duvet over to cover Harry, his eyes flashed momentarily below Harry's waist.

"I take it you have grown eyes on your back these days to check yourself then, Po-Harry," Draco huffed and flopped onto the bed sideways, facing Harry with one leg bend on the bed.

Harry rubbed his left hand wearily across his eyes and flinched when Draco wrapped his hand around his. Draco's warm gentle fingers pulled Harry's hand towards himself, a thumb rubbed along a croaked index finger.

"I could heal it for you. I am much more skillful now than I was then." It was a loaded suggestion.

"It's almost time to feed Orion," Harry diverged unskillfully.

"Of course. Let me take him to you," Draco nodded and exited the room. Harry tried not to think he how hard he would be burning into his brain the image of Draco carrying Orion in his arms. He didn't have much time to let his thoughts run free as Draco returned shortly carrying Orion and a baby bottle. Orion was sucking his tiny thumb with his other tiny hands gripping the ruffle edges of the off-white Victorian crochet baby blanket he was wrapped in, and his dark bright round eyes were looking up at Draco's face with wonder.

"I noticed skin on your nipples are getting scraped and raw from the breast feeding so I concocted a nutrient supplement for Orion, this bottle here, if you'd like to try bottle feeding," Draco whirled the bottle in question and kicked bedroom door close behind him with his heels. Orion squealed in joy at the little jolt.

Harry nodded with a dry mouth, grateful to the universe that he wouldn't have to get his nipples sucked in front of Draco. It sounded so wrong in his head.

"I should go back," Draco said as he put Orion in Harry's arms. Their arms touched and Draco's neck was at Harry's nose. He was so close that Harry would smell his body scent and a faint ever-present hint of potions and herbs, masked behind his cologne.

"Stay," Harry blurted out. He was so close to seeing the real version of the mirror vision. It can't stop here, not now.

Draco stared at him with an unreadable expression, a brief hesitation before he sat down again on Harry's bed. Orion held out little grabby hands to Draco while drinking from the bottle Harry was holding. Draco put a finger on Orion's little pink palm and was immediately wrapped up by tiny chubby fingers. There was a faint smile on Draco's face, a rare sight on the uptight platinum blond. The two adults looked at the baby in silence until Harry shifted his body and arms from tiredness.

Draco pulled out his wand. "Let me," he cast a levitation spell on the bottle and Orion.

Harry smiled to himself, "I should have thought of that."

"Can't expect too much from you, really, Scarhead," Draco smirked as he pocketed his wand, "if it's any comfort, it was Astoria who came up with this idea. I usually just stand afar and watch."

Now that Harry could gently hug around Orion with just one arm, he combed his fingers through Orion's soft dark hair.

"This reminds me of watching Astoria and Scorpius. Come to think of it... I am always just watching..."

"Feeling helpful? I'm sure your gaze is all it take to ensure the whole household run properly, Malfoy."

"Fuck off, Potter. We have House Elves in our town house too. House _Elves_. Plural."

"Sounds overcrowded. Are the Malfoys practically broke now?"

"I shall have you know that the town house is spacious enough, not that you can imagine. You probably have never set foot in one ever," Draco retorted with an eye roll, "I might have been driven from my home because of the taint, but you can mark my words that one day I would be telling stories in the drawing room of the Malfoy Manor to my family on Yule, just like my once sane father did, and just like my grandfather and ancestors did."

There were several beats of silence.

"Let me heal that, Harry."

"No."

They locked eyes, there was cold determination, and an understanding. It was rare that Harry could feel so much like his old self. They nodded at each other, topic dropped.

Orion finished his meal and fell asleep as they sat in comfortable silence. But soon the moment too had to pass. Draco stood up and pressed hands down his lean form to smoothed out imaginary wrinkles on his pristine robes. "I should go back to Astoria," he held out his right hand, "try not to lose your head and die, Potter. The Golden Trio needs three."

"Feeling brave, Malfoy? Speaking like that, I almost forgot that you are just a coward in your father's shadow." That jibe appeared to have struck a nerve.

"The Malfoys once owned this manor and a Malfoy would be damned if he has to watch his own words in his own property. Now shake my hands, say goodbye and be civil, Potter. My arm is getting sore."

With a soft laugh, Harry shook the outstretched hand, "Alert the press, Malfoy shook hands with a plebeian."

"I am taking Orion back to his crib," Draco refrained from prolonging the verbal duel, in his opinion, it was not at all challenging when your opponent is Harry Potter anyway. He was careful not to wake Orion as he leaned in close to take the baby in one arm, but being Draco Malfoy, he did salute Harry on his way out before closing the bedroom door.

Harry rolled his eyes and slid under his covers with a pounding heart. He listened keenly for the opening and closing of the main gates. He counted fifteen steps for Draco to step outside the Manor wards to Disapparate. He wished wizards Apparate with a loud crack like a house elf.

Harry bite down on his crooked index finger. It was like this right from the start. Malfoy would taunt and heal until Harry would call him Malfoy. It was their code. They are Potter and Malfoy, and they are okay.


	3. Smartphones - vs Smart Phones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had an idea that Harry was rumbling about smartphone under his breath one day because of all the owls and parchments flying about on a busy weekend as Voldy brought work home, and Voldy asked him what is a phone that is smart XD and was ignored in favour of cooing Orion. So Voldy owled Draco to find out about it. Do you think Draco would be familiar with Muggle technology? I don’t think so.

The door to Harry's study banged open and in walked a blur of grey white robes with flying silvery blond hair on top. 

"I know it's you! You said something about phones being smart, didn't you? You'd better tell me all about it before this whole thing drives me bloody crazy! This is bonkers!" Draco was shouting and raving his arms about and pacing with loud stomps while doing so. Harry stopped reading and looked up at the rampaging blond with open amusement. 

"Is this your idea of a joke? Potter, you win! He's obsessed! I'm suffering! Just tell him there is no such thing as a smart phone!" Draco was now standing in front of Harry, he bent down and put both hands on either side of the winged chair around Harry, his face just inches away from his, huffing. 

Harry decided to take pity on him, "Well, let's go into the Muggle city and find out, shall we? You'd better take notes."

"Oh right, let's just leave and go to the city, you and I, have a little picnic while we are there, why don't we?" Draco literally spat back in retort, his usually neat hair now a mess with strands of silver plastered on his eyes and forehead. 

"You think this is all a joke, don't you? Damn you, Potter! I swear to Merlin, if you tell me you made up all of this, I'm... I'm... Ugh!"  Draco took a step back and wiped both hands down his face before plopping down into a matching burgundy velvet winged chair facing Harry's. 

Draco's robes were now dishevelled, but he clearly had put in effort as usual. He was wearing a shiny pair of ombre grey brogues today with dim grey linen pants that clad nicely to his legs, matched with a plain white shirt with a cornflower blue tie. The top cloak, a lovely dove grey with silver paisley embroidery all over, had black inner lining and a rather large hood dropped to the back, which Harry thought made Draco look younger. The small pearl ball button at the cloak collar had popped loose from the blond's earlier wild movements, and so the luscious fabric simply parted to the sides and pooled around him, who was now sitting with hands on arm rests, legs spread, face up towards the ceiling, eyes closed, and muttering, perhaps in a quiet prayer to a higher power. Though the higher power might just be Harry himself as he could catch whispers of "Potter" and variations of the f-bomb which would expand Harry's lexical resources. Harry was not trying very hard to discern the words, however, as he was more distracted by the exposed pale long neck with a throbbing Adam's apple.

Harry had to hide his smile by putting his book under his nose, he didn't want to upset the blond art piece any further. He had stopped his prayers but obviously was still seeking console from the ceiling of Harry's study with listless grey eyes and was chewing his thin pink lips. The disorderly outfit together with his pale complexion had made him sensually effeminate. As if unaware of Harry's appreciative gaze, he loosened his tie, further slouched on the chair and let his legs further part obscenely wide. His slim fit pants was punctuating certain qualities on his lower body. In the few minutes that Harry was allowed to freely stare without worry of getting caught, his favourite eye candy had become less animated but no less agitated.

"Stop staring, Potter." Draco groaned.

"I wasn't-"

"Oh then do enlighten me. What else in this pathetic room would you be looking at that could render you silent for the past five bloody minutes?" Draco looked down from to ceiling and stared right at Harry's eyes. And he arched an eyebrow as if in challenge. Harry gulped, felt his cheek and ears heat up, and decided to hide his whole face behind his book.

Oh, sweet Merlin, the fresh paper scent had miraculous calming effect.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Harry jumped so violently his legs bounced off the floor and the book flew out of his hands, maybe magically, as he saw that Draco had drawn his wand and was glaring at him. No, whoever thought Draco was effeminate must have been dropped on his head too many times as a baby.

"Y-yes?" Harry squeaked.

"I believe we were having a conversation regarding phones that are smart. Smart phones, in short." Draco tucked his wand back inside his sleeve and spoke in a falsely calm voice that was no less menacing.

"N-no. Not really. You were rumbling and pacing and slouching and spreading your legs and undoing your tie and screaming at me," Harry paused and frowned, "Wait, how did you know my full name?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't oh so casually suggest we go to the city to find out about stupid smart phones. In fact, I'm also going to pretend I didn't hear half of what you just babbled." Draco waved his hand in dismissal. Seeing Harry had no intention to continue talking, he prompted, "Smart. Phones."

"Oh!" Harry perked up suddenly with sparkling eyes, "Picnic! Muggle London!" And put on a Cheshire Cat smile.

"Has the Golden Boy finally lost it?" Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.

Harry answered without missing a beat, "Well, surely too much time indoors and isolated from civilization would have adverse effect on the mentality and psychology of a human being!" Harry had never spoken so fast in his life. "Surely as my carer you should recommend appropriate precautions and treatment." Seeing Draco was only shaking his head to the floor but otherwise quiet, Harry marched on, "Smartphones are real! They are very real! We can go to Muggle London and find out all about it. I will show you all about it!"

"Harry..." Draco stooped forward in his seat with his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his palms. His fringe were now hanging in front on his face, like a shield protecting him from the insanity in front of him.

"Draco, do you hear me? Let's go to Muggle London! There will be smartphones and hamburgers and fish and chips!" Harry put on his best innocent grin and bent forward trying to see Draco's face.

Draco took a deep breath and stood up, cast a quick tidy up spell on his clothes, and without as much as a glance at Harry's huge grin, he smoothed out his hair, turned and started to walk out.

"Draco? Draco!" Harry called after the tall, white and lean with his best crazy voice but remain seated. "Tell him we would only need around eight hundred pounds! You know pounds, right? Muggle money!"

All Harry got was a loud slamming door in response. He _Accio_ 'ed his book from the floor then sat hugging his legs to sit more comfortably in his cosy chair. Resuming his reading with a small smile, he knew he had already won. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I overdo the details with Draco's clothes and his poses... ?


	4. Smartphones - Owls Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we thought they matured. Hur hur hur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right. Two short chapters in a row. 
> 
> 1) Harry would miss dots and commas here and there, he was never good at writing.  
> 2) Draco's handwriting is even more curly than Astoria's. I find it amusing. Do you think it should be or shouldn't be?  
> 3) Astoria Greengrass... sorry if this portrayal is a bit kawaii for your taste. I didn't read the Cursed Child but I imagine she would be quite posh, being a pure-blood afterall. Wouldn't it be fun if she is secretly all cute and kawaii?  
> 4) Astoria writes even tinier than Draco, and Harry is fine with her handwriting. Ha!  
> 5) Harry's handwriting is just horrible. I hate reading it. I'm sorry.  
> 6) Trying to use Dropbox since Photobucket blocked 3rd-Party Hosting. Please let me know if it doesn't work. Seems it doesn't work on iPhone.


	5. Losing It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe one day Voldy will realise what he has done.

With the smaller children back at Hogwarts and the older ones at work, Harry could only read and sit around so much. The restlessness outweighed the unpleasantness that he had to brace having Death Eaters following him around. He would even brace further unnecessary interactions with Voldemort. He needed air.

He walked around the garden and ignored the two Death Eaters tailing him. It's not that they would harm Harry, but they are not exactly friend material. It had been years since Harry last wondered if they despite him, or fear him-Not Harry himself, but Voldemort, of course.

At sunset, air in Wiltshire cools quickly, and he could not delay heading back inside the manor anymore. Wandless warming charm was not yet his strong fort. Might as well go in and have dinner.

That decision was a bad decision but hindsight is 20/20.

As he pushed open the door to the dining room, he would hear Voldemort speaking to two other Death Eaters and Nagini was of course by his side. Harry wanted to exit the room to silently sneak upstairs and slip back into his room. But Nagini had already turned and hissed. All eyes were on him, briefly, as Nagini glided across to join him.

" _I was trying to be sneak back to my room, you know?_ " As the others resumed talking, Harry greeted Nagini.

" _Should I say sorry?_ " Harry could hear the raised eyebrow or smirk, if a snake could do either.

" _Save your sarcasm for someone else or I am not talking to you. You hardly have anyone to chat with, you do realise?_ " Harry joked.

" _You are the someone else, child._ " Harry did not imagine the shrug. The snake did a shimmy shrug which made Harry smile with an eye roll.

"Harry, sit down and have a proper dinner." A sudden loud sentence caught Harry's attention. Harry could feel the smile swiped off his face as he regarded Voldemort and his order.

"I can have Dorsey bring it up to my room. I'm tired," Harry said with a shrug.

"Listen and obey. _Pet. Don't make me remind you of your place._ " Voldemort can be particularly easy to annoy when Harry tries to defy him in front of others. The tension was starting to build.

"Since when do---" Harry doesn't know what had gotten into him today. Normally he would have acquiesced to such a minor request but today, oh today, he decided to stand his ground.

" _Child,_ " Nagini stepped in.

" _Nagini, I'm no child,_ " Harry hissed back. A part of Harry knows this is a matter too trivial to worth pushing his luck for, but the rest of him, it vehemently push back.

"Dorsey will not bring you dinner. _Sit. Down. Now,_ " snarled the Dark Lord.

Harry was about to retort when an offhanded comment cut in. "Oh, little pet Harry Potter doesn't know what's best for himself." Harry froze.

He didn't recognize her at first sight because Death Eaters always wore a dark cloak shielding their whole form these days when they were at the manor.

But he recognized that voice. It was Bellatrix Lestrange.

And a whirl of hatred stirred up inside Harry.

He was reminded of the first two years. The two painful, torturous, years of abuse and rape. Day after day, night after night. And Bellatrix Lestrange was always there, and she always laughed the most. He started biting his crooked finger knuckle as the other Death Eaters started laughing at his expense. Harry stood still, motionless. Deep inside, he was so angry. So mad. He wanted... Needed... Something. Anything.

" _Are you hungry?_ " Harry hissed without context, getting a curious look from Voldemort.

At the sound of snake scales rattling against stone tiles, Harry could see the moment that realization dawned on everyone's face. But then, it was too late.

" _Not really,_ " Nagini hissed loudly before she rose and struck down the nearest Death Eater, just another expandable scum Harry couldn't be bothered with. The poor bastard couldn't even lift his wand hand before it was torn off, the whole arm and shoulder. His scream was so coarse and of pure pain it made Harry cringe.

Nobody moved and the room was still, except for the quickly died out shouts of pain, the dull thumping of Nagini's body thrashing on the stone floor, and the squishing sounds of bites and splashing sounds of blood gushing onto hard floor.

A splash of disgustingly warm, foul smelling blood hit Harry's face and hair, he felt surreal what was happening, and that _he_ was the one who brought it on. He found himself uncertain, again, about his own feelings regarding the event unfolding in front of him.

It was Voldemort, naturally, who regained composure and spoke first. "Dorsey," he called for an House Elf.

A loud crack announced the House Elf's arrival. It was deafening in the otherwise silent dining room. "Master called?" She squeaked and bowed deep, glistening wide eyes looking down at her own feet, now stepping on fresh blood. There was no telling if her eyes had widened at her unfortunate footing or not. Harry found that a little bit comical.

"Bring me towels to wipe off the blood," Harry cut in as he moved to sit on one of the vacant seats. He cast a silent wandless _Scourgify_ on himself. The Death Eater next to him shifted in discomfort.

"Yes, Master," Dorsey squeaked her affirmation with another deep bow that folded her in half. Harry thought he saw her nose dipped into the blood at her feet before she Disapparated with another loud crack. Very soon, neat warm towels appeared on the table for Harry, along with his dinner course.

Voldemort never left his eyes from Harry throughout the meal. Something in Harry had changed, he had known that for years, but he hadn't bothered to pin-point exactly what. That was until recent events. First the _Crucio_ episode, now the execution of one of his followers. Harry had never succeeded at schooling his expressions well, unlike those Malfoys. Especially their son... _Draco... Draco Lucius Malfoy. Right._ Whom Harry had been school rival with. Whom Harry witnessed tortured without a flick of interest. Just as he witnessed... _instigated_ a murder that took place moments ago. There was amusement, excitement, or arousal even, if his bond was informing him correctly. This was... Unsettling. Even though he had not spent much effort to know his slave, he liked to think he knows enough to tell. Being the Dark Lord was not only about intimidation or striking fear into the hearts of his oppressors but he would not had been able to make world leaders fall onto their knees in front of him without being able to _read_ people in moments - or say, twenty years.

They ate in silence as Nagini munched down the Death Eater's remains. As Harry listened to the sounds of snapping bones and churning muscle, he couldn't fail to notice how Voldemort seemed to be staring. The Dark Lord had stopped eating altogether in favour of studying him, with an uncharacteristic frown and downturned lips. If he was displeased at the brutal disposal of a Death Eater, he hadn't say anything. Perhaps he was waiting. Perhaps he was contemplating punishments for his favourite slave toy. Whatever the reasons, Harry couldn't bring himself to care.

A Death Eater stabbed his fork on the plate forcefully, resulting in a sharp clink. Was he Yaxleys? Guess not all pure-bloods are refined like the Malfoys. But then, Harry figured it would be unfair to compare anyone with the Malfoys just because they were pure-bloods. Yaxleys sliced his knife too hard on his plate, producing a screech which reminded Harry of Mandrakes. Yaxleys froze, probably in embarrassment, for a few moments before resuming wolfing down his gourmet dinner with atrocious table manners. Bellatrix was humming a tune only known to herself. She gave Harry a big grin showing her awful teeth as she brought a fork to her mouth. Harry noticed she was missing a finger and he hoped it was because of a fight against an Order member. Harry grinned wide in reply, and was pleased to see the crazy old hag startled and pouted.

The nameless Death Eater next to Harry shifted in his seat with unease again, his dinner course half untouched. Harry felt sorry for making everyone, except Bellatrix maybe, too uncomfortable to properly enjoy the wonderful meal. He absolutely loved the treacle tart, which reminded him of Hogwarts and he stopped thinking further, taking another bite. It seemed the kitchen elves had outdone themselves again, probably thrilled to have dinner guests.


	6. Spam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Harry and Astoria became friends/pen-pals/ferret-tamers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I did a pretty bad job with this chapter but I tried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my best knowledge, all fonts used are free for non-commercial use, and the Malfoy family crest came from Google search and I thought it's official. Again, please let me know if there is any copyright problem.
> 
> For those interested to know, fonts used are:  
> NeoclassicFleuronsFree (the decorative patterns)  
> Mochary PERSONAL USE ONLY (for the names in the Daily Prophet clipping)  
> DK Courant  
> Times New Roman -- Ha ha it really give that timed feel.  
> MV Boli (when Draco is mad, or when Harry tries to write neatly)  
> Segoe Script (Harry -- but if you look at his handwriting in his Fantastic Beast textbook, it's actually much neater)  
> Monotype Corsiva (fancy Draco is fancy)  
> Gabriola (Astoria)


	7. Smartphones - The Perfect Day

It didn't seem real that he had actually managed to scheme his way into being let out of the house. Not literally the house, of course, the whole premise, obviously. That he actually managed to spin the thing into a little outing didn't seem real last night when he went to bed. It didn't seem real now, six hours later (yes, he slept late, sue him).

Harry felt he hadn't even close his eyes for once the whole night, as he listened to the buzz of his wand alarm charm. He rolled to his side, staring at his still-buzzing wand on the bedside table, said wand slowly moving closer to the edge from the vibration.

The arm around Harry's hips tightened. "Is that an alarm?" Came Tom's drowsy muttering. Soft breath tickled Harry's hair at his nape and he could feel the vibration from Tom's body pressed against his back when he spoke. The scene was too oddly domestic for Harry's sleepy brain to process.

_Buzz-buzz-buzz-buzz-buzz---_

Harry grabbed the wand before it could drop to the floor. As his arm came into contact with chilly morning air, he wasn't looking forward to getting up and venturing out of the warmth of his cozy blankets.

" _Tempus,_ " he muttered and grimaced at the sharp neon blue light displaying the current time.

_06:05_

He shut his eyes tight and tried to squirm lower into the blankets.

_Wait..._

"Ya sneak'd'n last night? Why're ya still'ere?" Harry slurred while reaching down to grab Tom's forearm, poking and pinching it to reassure his brain that this was real. Though he vaguely felt he had probably got the pinching target wrong.

"Late night. Morning off. Stop it." Came the mumbled reply and motions of a head trying to burrow into his back. Who knew the mighty Dark Lord would be so… un-Dark-Lord-like when sleepy. Harry guess he did now.

_Buzz---_

Harry jumped so hard at the sudden renewed buzzing of his wand and, from the barely contained grunt of pain behind him, he swore he had accidentally kicked and elbowed Tom, hard.

"Fuck! Dammit! Fuck! The one day I want to sleep in. One. Day." Tom sat up and flipped over the blankets, Harry felt like he was suddenly dumped into freezing cold water and groaned.

"You get up! You set the bloody alarm. Get up!" Cold hands pushed at Harry's shoulder.

"Ugh…" Harry moaned in distress but between insistent hand-pushing and a vibrating wand in his hand, he couldn't go back to sleep. But try, he might.

"Up. Get up! Why do you have to get up so early anyway? You, of all people," the Dark Lord seemed to have got up from the bed, and from the shuffling sounds of clothes and soft padded footsteps, seemed to be dressed and making his way to Harry's side of the bed.

Cold merciless hands grabbed and pulled Harry into a sitting position. "Wake up and get up. You do not get to wake others then sleep in!"

"What does that even mean… me of all people…," Harry complained between a yawn and rubbed his eyes. He did not like the implication of that. It wasn't like he chose to be jobless.

Which brought up a more pressing matter.

"Draco's coming at seven. Get the collar off," as he was pulled up to stand and stared up at Tom, whose arms had gone tighter on his shoulders, he thought he could have approached the topic more gently.

Tom's jaws were set tight as he chewed on his tongue refraining from toxic comments. This was not the way he imagined the morning to go. But it was his fault that he had forgotten Harry's appointment. Ha, as if a Dark Lord should need to remember someone else's schedule. And yes, he did remember he had hastily drafted a reply to Harry last week when asked to remove his collar for a little outing. Into Muggle London. For a stupid smart phone. With the bloody Malfoy heir. Who probably had inappropriate thoughts regarding Harry. His Harry.

Who was now standing there yawning, with a bad case of cowlicks, rubbing his eyes with his pajamas sleeves, but slowly getting uncomfortable at Tom's prolonged silence. It was a little adorable, really, just a little.

"I distinctly recall the term I used was _relocate,_  not _remove_ ," Tom retorted, all awake and composed. Very Dark-Lord like.

"Ya, whatever, Tom, I only have forty more minutes to get dressed," Harry stepped closer to Tom and leaned his forehead onto Tom's chest. "Spare me the theatrics and get it _relocated_ now. Please. It's bloody six fifteen. I'm not awake enough for this. I'm not walking around with a bloody collar in Muggle London. _Tooooooooom_ …"

No, his Harry was not adorable. He was an irritating git. A sleepy whining irritating git who was now rubbing his messy hair into Tom's chest, and oh, who had just wrapped his arms around Tom's waist. Tom inhaled to calm himself down but that didn't help as he just got himself a lungful of Harry's shampoo scent. He roughly cleared his throat.

" _Animatis,"_ the spell was chanted in _parseltongue_ and Tom's hand guided the collar snake down Harry's neck, across his collar bone, and slowly slid down his left arm. Harry groaned almost sensually, from his touch and at the snake's movement, and turned his head to the side to watch as Tom's traveling hand eventually reached and wrapped around his right hand. Harry's soft warm palm was pliant in Tom's and Tom relished this brief moment of closeness, knowing full well his _pet_ would step away from him the moment he had got what he needed.

He stroked his thumb on soft skin, and used his other hand to tilt Harry's head up by his chin to look into watery green eyes as he whispered the settling charm for the collar, " _solidatur forma."_

As the collar reshaped and hardened in a green flash, Tom was taken aback by a brief flash of smile beamed at him, a smile so genuine and unguarded that reached the emerald eyes. It was an understatement to say Harry seldom grace the Dark Lord with his brilliant kind smiles, only reserved for the children. But as he predicted, Harry was now pushing at his chest to step back from him, "Well thank-" Tom bent forward and captured those treacherous lips before he was subject to more snarks.

Before he could make further advances though, Harry's tense squirming was much more caustic to any acidic offhanded comments he could muster. He softly squeezed the younger wizard's chin and hand again once then promptly released him, and took a few steps back. Stepping away himself was better than seeing Harry stepping away from him, he figured. Harry was about to speak again, but Tom decided he didn't want to hear any fake gratitude.

"I will see you later tonight," Tom curtly remarked and walked out of Harry's chambers.

_Fuck the Malfoy heir. Fuck Draco Lucius Malfoy who his Harry deemed necessary to spend one freaking hour to dress up for._

Those were the synopsis of the Dark Lord's thoughts as he ate his breakfast, floo'ed to the Ministry and walked into his office.

_Fuck Draco Malfoy who forced me to meet him at bloody seven in the morning. Fuck the jeans and checked shirts, where are they when I need them. Fuck my hair._

And those were the synopsis of Harry's thoughts as he got ready and finally rushed down the stairs into the hallway.

To see one smug Draco Malfoy meticulously dressed in an ashen-grey three piece suit, leaning against the wall, arm crossed, with a bored expression as if Harry was an hour late. Little did the smug bastard knew that if mental curses from powerful wizards were half effective, he wouldn't be alive at this point in time.

"Morning, Potter. Slept well?" Draco greeted the grumpily approaching dark haired wizard with a bright smile.

"Morn. Could have been better," Harry muttered with a murderous look. They are so gonna make a ridiculous sight together in Muggle London, Harry dreaded. "Nice outfit, Malfoy. Would tees and jeans scar your delicate skin?"

"Why, thank you, I wish I could say the same for you. Anyway, nice bracelet," Draco retorted with a nod towards said _accessory_. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"Whatever," Harry walked pass him out the main door and stood at the point where the anti-Apparation ward ended. He looked back expectantly at the platinum blond who soon stepped next to him.

He did not intentionally take a deep breath of the man's signature cologne as he leaned close to take his arm for side-along. It was merely the shock and dizziness from Apparation that made him took another deep breath as they landed in a deserted alley in… somewhere in Muggle London.

For the first time since the whole _Smart Phone_ thing happened, this was the moment that things seemed real. It was really happening.

"Well…" Harry stepped into the street. Few Muggles were on the street as it wasn't even rush hour yet.

"Yes, well. As you so eloquently put it," Malfoy had to pipe up.

To which Harry's stomach beat his mouth and retorted with a low rumble. He could feel his face heat up and more as Draco smiled at him without teasing, surprisingly. More surprisingly, Draco simply held out a fist which opened to reveal two treacle tarts.

"I hope they are still your favourite. I had Koker make them this morning but we couldn't make Astoria's waffles," Draco elaborated, "Let's check out the closest public library for a computer and make an online reservation for a smartphone, then we can find a place for food. Come on, Potter."

"Thanks. It seems you already have things all sorted out. What do you still need me for?" Harry asked as he stuffed his face with treacle tarts. He guessed he could have taken the bite off his reply, but, well, not today.

"Surely too much time indoors and isolated from civilization would have adverse effect on the mentality and psychology of a human being, and as your carer I must provide treatment. Someone told me," Draco recited, to Harry's great amusement.

"So you are sacrificing yourself for my treatment?" Harry replied mirthfully with a little sprint added to his steps to keep up with the taller wizard.

"The pain I would suffer for you, my damsel," Draco pressed the back of his fingers to Harry's cool cheeks.

"Damsel your arse, Malfoy," Harry retorted without missing a beat and tried to brush off his fingers. Draco could feel him shiver from his touch. Instead of further banter, he cupped Harry's neck and cast a non-verbal warming charm on Harry. The answering shiver and the coy fluttering of brilliant green eyes sent chills down his spine.

"The library is two blocks away that way. Try to finish your breakfast before we reach it. The sooner we get that reservation done, the sooner we can get your Second Breakfast, Hobbit." Draco spared side-long glances at Harry, who met his eyes occasionally between looking at the red double-decker buses and Muggle pedestrians with a hungry look as if trying to imprint the scenes into his skull. It tugged at a painful string in Draco's heart, but at least they have today, until he could do more.

The library didn't open until nine, they both knew that but both decided they needn't point it out. They strolled block after block killing time in companionable silence, observing rush-hour Muggles and exchanging musing glances.

Harry had long finished his tarts and they now each hold a cuppa that Draco bought from a vendor they passed by. Harry was surprised Draco was so well-adjusted to the Muggle ways but decided to say nothing. He didn't need to, really. Draco could read that from his amused stares anyway, and Harry knew he knew when he got an arched eyebrow in answer as the blond sipped his drink.

It was a nice morning.


	8. Smartphones - Fish and Chips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is second breakfast, anyway? Harry is not a Hobbit.

"Ready to get your second breakfast?" Draco asked from behind Harry, who was pretty submerged in his own Internet browsing at the library while Draco was doing his online smart phone reservation.

"Oh, yeah, you done?" Harry quickly logged out before Draco's curious sneak peek could make out much other than an online hotel booking website pop-up Ad. Draco nodded in affirmation, "Of course," the silent 'dumb-arse' remark was silent, "We just have to show up at the store at five."

"Five?" Harry looked at the computer time. It was just half past eleven. It seemed Draco took his time making the online reservations. "We've got a lot of time to spare then," Harry stood up and fell into steps with Draco to leave their current floor and make their way out of the library.

Draco gave one of his signature smirks, half turned to Harry, "Don't worry, I'm sure we will find something to… what do Muggles say… Slaughter time?"

Harry's laughter carried across the rather empty and silent library. He ducked his head in embarrassment when a few grey haired elderly people looked up from their newspapers at him in disapproval, but he muttered back nonetheless, "I'm pretty sure it's _kill_  time, Draco. Good effort though, are you sure your pure-blood isn't oozing out your pores from disgust?"

"Oh ha-ha. I knew you have been wanting to make a quip at me since the moment we, I mean, _I_ bought tea for us from the vendor stall." The platinum blond shook his head in annoyance, "Do you not get tired of mocking my blood status?" He glanced at Harry with an arched eyebrow. Meeting Harry's crinkling eyes, he hastened to add, "Not that there is anything to be mocked about a pure blood status, of course." He toyed with his cufflinks, feigning indifference from his own uncharacteristic slip.

They have reached the lifts and Harry hummed in acknowledgement as he pressed the buttons, "Uh-huh, well, I think there is, and something about continuing our petty feud from school just does it for me, you know." Harry gave a half-hearted shrug and continued, "Maybe I'm just easily amused."

"That you are, indeed." The lift dinged and Draco held his arms out to shield the lift doors, gesturing for the shorter wizard to go first, earning himself a lopsided grin.

"Why, thank you, how gentleman of you." Harry was still grinning as he leaned on the glass.

"You are welcome, milady." Draco answered with a mocking half-bow as he too entered the lift. Harry quipped back a quick 'lady your-arse', but he soon was a little uncomfortable when the pale wizard simply crossed his arms and legs, leaning on the closed lift doors and said nothing. Harry looked at Draco, and found that he was just staring at him intensely, thoughts indecipherable. Harry was captured by the glistening artificial lights reflected from those silvery grey eyes as the lift made its descend. He remembered how when he was young, he would be quite tempted to turn and look at the city's view from the glass lift, but at this moment, he was content. He would rather look at the man standing in front of him, sunlight highlighting his almost white silver hair and eyes.

Little did he know that he himself was no less captivating with a backdrop of the city and bright skylight contrasted with his dark hair and shadows casted on his front. And that was what Draco was seeing as they stood there opposite each other in silence.

The lift soon came to a halt with a ding. They made their way out of the library front door and out onto the streets. Harry was wondering what they would be having for lunch when Draco grabbed Harry's arm and pull him into an alleyway for a Side-Along.

Surprised and disoriented, Harry was glad that Draco kept his grasp firm on his arms, almost holding him up. "Sorry, I should have gave you some warning."

"You think?" Harry, slowly feeling more human, looked up to glare at the blond.

"If it was not for your lack of practice, it should not be this bad." Draco grimaced and loosened his hold, which Harry immediately missed.

"It's not my fault I'm out of practice, you know." Harry rolled his eyes and rubbed his arms to make up for the loss of warmth as Draco's hand left him. Just as he was about to say something more, however, he felt two distant pops of magical disturbance. He could feel these small fluctuations these days, as his magic grew more powerful after Tom put more protection on him and their magic blended and grew with the affinity. It was like he had a magical field or radar of some sort when he does not keep his own magic in check consciously. With a sigh, he asked, "We are not alone today, aren't we?"

"I hardly think it should come as a surprise," Draco affirmed sourly and then grimaced again from his own tone, "I didn't want you to know, that's why I didn't tell you. Let's not let them ruin our day, shall we?" He rubbed his forehead with a sigh. It seemed they were both as affected. "How many did he send though?"

"Two, " Harry answered with another eye roll, "Surprisingly few, shall we say?"

"Ugh… Sorry, Harry." Draco sighed heavily.

"Not _your_ fault." Harry cut back with a pout and walked towards the end of the long narrow alleyway leading to the main road, "I bet that's why you Apparated all of a sudden? You saw them and you got hot-headed, didn't you? What good is it going to do us anyway. It's so like you, Draco, you haven't changed after all these years. All that straight-backed and coolly composed façade, one trigger and you are all reckless." Harry ranted on like the housewife he was, with Draco nodding and sighing in resignation behind him as they continued to walk along the weirdly long alleyway, and to Draco's salvation, finally stepped into the bright main road. "Don't just nod and pretend to agree with me, Draco, your Slytherin side knows I'm right, one day that's gonna get you killed, don't say I did-" Sounds of ocean waves and seagulls assaulted Harry, along with the smell of salt and the sea.

"Where are we?" Harry asked in awe.

"Brighton." Draco answered, stepping up next to him. "I thought we could get fish and chips at the pier." He nodded towards a white pavilion structure at the coast. The cool sea breeze and clear sky was very welcoming, tailing Death Eaters forgotten.

"Brighton is not in London, Draco." Harry slowly answered.

"I know, Harry." Draco slowly answered.

Well, when were they not rule-breakers or rule-benders, anyway?

Harry's grin widened as he turned to Draco with a blinding smile, "This is brilliant!" And hooked his arm around Draco's to pull him into an enthusiastic half-run half-walk towards the pier. Draco was awkwardly trying to balance himself and had to mutter soft 'pardon's and 'excuse me's as he bumped into or, worse, stepped on Muggle couples. He had to make several impossible twists of his legs to avoid trampling a few running shrieking kids. To his great relief, Harry pulled them into a sudden stop in front of a stall. To his great dismay, the stop was too sudden and he bumped his full body on Harry's back, and his nose made a painful collision course into the back of Harry's head.

"Ouch! Watch it, Draco!" Harry turned to frown at Draco, who muttered yet another 'sorry' in auto-reflex and was stunned at the shorter wizard's audacity.

 Seagulls flew low and one even pecked at a chunk of fish held up by a little girl. The piercing keowling of seagulls was almost deafening, but Draco kept looking at the marvellous non-magical creatures and didn't mind the blinding sunshine at all. He didn't notice when they were at the front of the line.

"Hello, we'll have a fish and chips, a burger and a hotdog, please." Harry's voice brought Draco back to ground.

"Alright, a fish and chips, a burger and a hotdog. Anything to drink?" The girl at the counter cheerfully replied.

"Oh yes, why not. Em… I'll have a… diet coke." Harry replied, and turned to Draco, to his great dismay, and asked, "What about you, Draco?" As if he should have a clue.

"Er, diet coke, too. Thanks." Whatever a diet coke is.

"Right, two diet coke, please." Harry relayed to the girl.

"Would that be all?" Girl asked again, cheerfully.

"Yes, thank you." Harry answered, just as cheerfully.

"That would be £ 25.5, thank you." The girl announced, cheerfully. At which, Harry nudged Draco, and Draco stepped forward and counted the Muggle money and handed it into the girl's outstretched hand. " £25.5, exactly, thank you, here is your receipt. Your food will be with you soon. Have a nice day!"

"Thanks, you too!" Harry's answering grin was no less bright than the girl's. The whole transaction was starting to get on Draco's nerves. For no particular reason.

As they were waiting for their number to be called, Harry looked along the golden beach. "Where do you reckon we sit and eat our food?"

"I reckon?" Draco was called back to reality again by Harry's voice. "Em…" That was one thing he didn't plan out.

"Don't worry, the beach is not crowded at all. We can find a secluded patch and just sit there." Harry supplied cheerfully.

"On the sand?" Draco asked with an blank expression. "What about those perfectly fine benches?" He gestured towards the pavilion.

"Yes, the sand. Problem?" Harry replied with an irritating smile. He knew full well what the problem was. "I'm sure we have a charm or two to keep your suit clean and the sand out of our shoes, yes?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you are an irritating git?" Draco huffed.

"Not to my face, no." Harry replied, and continued his irritating smile. Green eyes almost disappearing as he widened his smile.

"I see." Draco crossed his arms and sulked. Luckily he kept his wand holster on his forearm, that way he could cast spells subtly in Muggle areas.

Harry ordered so much that Draco had to wonder if he was starved by the Dark Lord, however unlikely that notion was. With both hands full with food, Draco followed Harry, who had both his hands free, to a spot on the beach, with sand getting into his dress shoes and occasionally nearly slipping and falling from stepping into soft sand holes. When Harry happily sat down with a flop and, had the audacity to, pat down a spot next to him and gesturing Draco to sit, Draco simply dumped the food pile into Harry's lap, eliciting a yelp from the dark haired wizard, before casting a quick succession of shielding charms, Muggle repellent charms, cleaning charms, protection charms, and lastly, a cushioning charm, before he gracefully slumped into the sand.

"Smart," Harry said with a lob-sided grin, nodding to Draco's discreet wand holster hidden under his sleeves. He conjured a picnic mat and laid out their food in front of them.

"Thank you," Draco tipped his head, picked up his drink and… choked. "What the bloody hell is this?!"

"You never had coke before?" Harry smirked. "I mean, _carbonated drinks_.”

"What the…," Draco stuttered. The fizzing bubbles felt like tiny explosions on his tongue and tasted awfully overly sweet.

"Oh dear, then I hope you have tried fish and chips, and hot dogs, and burgers?" Harry took a big slurp of his coke before holding out the fish and chips to Draco.

"We forgot to take utensils," glad to have a diversion, Draco made to stand up.

"Sit down, Draco, we are eating with our hands," Harry smirked and took another slurp. "Ohhhh, I have missed you, carbonated drink!"

"I'm sure you are fucking with me," flustered, Draco blurted out.

"Oh well, I'm not, in the sense you are referring to. But I am not saying no." Harry answered with a wink, and used his tongue to twirl the straw back in his mouth for another big gulp. That was not suggestive at all. "Well, I'm sure another _Scourgify_ would do the trick?"

_And the git put down his drink and held out his hands, expecting him to clean his hands, too! The audacity!_

Internal turmoil aside, Draco clenched his jaw and did it for both of them.

Good thing was that whenever Draco dropped food onto his suit, he could cast more cleaning charms. And if Harry noticed, he didn't say anything. And they ate their lunch enjoying the beautiful scene, with Harry occasionally holding out chunks of food into the air for daring seagulls, and Draco casting cleaning screen saved them from bird droppings.

As Draco finished his lunch, he leaned back into the sand and turned to the side to look at Harry, who was stuffing his face with food and clumsily feeding seagulls, ocean breeze blowing through his messy hair, looking relaxed and youthful.

It was as if all the worries of the world had nothing to do with them, at least for this short moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not nearly romantic enough... What do you think?


	9. Smartphones - The Games We Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cliché date?

"All finished," Harry nudged Draco, who had closed his eyes some time between Harry-watching and Harry-waiting.

"Right," Draco rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head, and slowly sat up. He looked at the empty packages in front of them and raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a floo somewhere in your stomach?"

"The seagulls ate, too," Harry stood up and offered his hand to Draco, which he accepted. Having pulled up Draco, who promptly started dusting off his suit, Harry cast a non-verbal tidy-up charm on him and was glad to see the slight blush on the pale wizard's face was not the trick of light. But he was surprised when the blond reached for his lips.

He opened his mouth, in question or in protest he didn't know, but he felt a shiver of pleasure went down his spine as Draco stroked a soft thumb across the corner of his mouth to smear away what must be mayonnaise from the fish and chips. Harry felt his mouth water as Draco quickly pushed his thumb between Harry's lips so he would suck it off. He felt his own breath quickened, and he saw Draco's pupils dilated, but all too soon Draco has pulled his thumb back and already turned to walk away.

Harry ignored the heavy pounding of his heart and took a few breathes to calm himself.

_There was something starting, or maybe it had started long ago._

Harry walked on with a rueful smile, staring at Draco's back, a man in his forties who had grown and aged while he was too caught up in his own mess to notice. Draco walked with a confident casualness in his steps that he hadn't mustered in his school years, Harry had always thought the blond young boy was too uptight. His all-back pale blond hair was mixed with strands of silver. He had tied up his mid-back length hair with an ordinary looking grey ribbon, loose strands softly swaying in the wind. His hair reminded Harry of his first meeting with Lucius, who was still wearing this hair style up to this date. It was a small blessing to the Malfoy men, really, that it seems their hairlines do not recede in age, and the volume remain thick and lush.

Trailing his sight down Draco's back, Harry was surprised to see him starting to roll up his sleeves up to his elbows. He caught sight of the ominous pitch-black ink that marred an otherwise flawless pale forearm. Maybe it was because they were in the Muggle world now, maybe Draco was letting his guard down, Harry couldn't tell, the Dark Mark could easily pass as a well-done tattoo but Draco didn't usually show his Dark Mark casually about.

Draco hated the Dark Mark, it was no secret between them. Harry still remembered the solemn and devastated look on Draco's teenage face the night he visited him after he got his Mark. He sat side by side with Draco, their shoulders touching, on the edge of his bed in silence as reality slowly sunk into both their minds with another added layer of clarity.

_What their lives had become, and how their futures will unfold. It was like everything was already written in ink, and everything that followed was just gears turning like clockwork playing out the script._

"What are you thinking about now? I can almost hear your thoughts," Draco looked back and challenged Harry with an arched eyebrow. Yes, it was the I-am-challenging-you eyebrow. Harry had to admit with a bitter smile that he did speak the eyebrow language a-la Draco Malfoy. And he could always rely on the bastard to pull him back out of his downward spiraling thoughts.

"Nothing," Harry shrugged and looked everywhere else that was not Draco, "It's just… Never mind."

"Right," Draco saw Harry looking, or more like, staring scathingly at his Dark Mark when he turned around, but there really was nothing to talk about there. He exhaled through his nose with a huff, he let his guard down and relaxed a bit too much.

_Stupid. Careless._

"We still have a few more hours to kill," Harry piped up pre-emptively.

"You don't say," yes, you heard that right, Draco was referencing an Internet meme with a matching facial expression, which prompted a bark of laughter from Harry. The dark haired wizard could make him do uncharacteristic things, or bring out his inner mischievous self. In Draco's opinion, this was Harry's most powerful and dangerous magic.

"You look hideous! Stop that!" Harry bumped Draco's arm playfully, and Draco continued to angle his face at Harry who was now circling him, flapping both hands at him and chuckling, "Stop it! It's really creepy! People are staring now!" To Harry's great relief, Draco finally resumed his normal face after a few more forceful slaps on his biceps and chest. "I'm so giving this pensive memory to Astoria, mark my words."

"Oh, I'm scared," Draco continued walking with a playful smirk. It looked nice on the blond, Harry thought.

As they stepped back onto the wooden structure that was the pier, Harry realised that they were heading towards the game arcade. He hastened to grab Draco's elbow forcefully, "Where are you going, Draco, that's the game arcade!"

"Problem?" There it was, again, the I-challenge-you eyebrows.

"You want to _play_ in the _arcade_?" Harry was flabbergasted and he could feel his own eyebrows disappearing behind his fringes.

_What's gotten into his platinum blond today?_

_Wait, no, not 'his'. What? Pfffft._

"Well, I've always been curious, and it's not like you could talk about me behind my back about this to anyone. They won't believe you." Draco shrugged nonchalantly as if he believed his own words 100%.

"Uh-huh, well, curious George, you may start by exchanging some token at that counter." Where Harry pointed, Draco went. He stood behind the ridiculously looking man in a three-piece suit at an arcade, listened to him trying to communicate with the bored teen at the counter who was looking less and less amused by the second. Taking pity on the man, Harry finally stepped up next to Draco and took over the exchange. They got their tokens and, while Draco was looking at those 'weird looking plastic coins - you call these tokens?' tokens, pulled the mumbling wizard towards a familiar looking white table full of small pores with two rectangular openings at opposite ends.

"Geez, I can't believe they are still a thing! Draco, I present to you," Harry made a grand gesture and waved towards the machine, "The Air Hockey!"

"What is it?" Draco looked at the table skeptically as Harry pushed a few tokens into the slot and air started blowing from the holes. He hovered his hand over to feel the current. "I don't suppose anything will be flying?"

"Well, this disc is elevated slightly if you squint. Anyway, it's really easily to play, here," Harry shoved a circular thing into Draco's hand. "We are to hit the disc and make it slide into the hole on the opposite side. I take this side, you go there."

"Are you trying to make me regret this idea? This sounds incredibly stupid," Draco frowned but got into position nonetheless.

"This is my favourite arcade game, though I didn't get to play often. Just shut up and play already!" Harry started without notice and the disc went straight into the hold on Draco's side without any obstruction. "Yes!"

"You cheat!" The blond seemed to have finally woken up from a daydream and got into full battle mode. He grabbed the disc and shove it hard towards Harry's side.

Harry knew Draco would like this game. That it was his own favourite was a bonus. The game was testing their reflexes, much like how they were competing as Seekers back in the good old days, although there was simply no need for skillful maneuvers. As soon as Draco warmed up a bit, they were assaulting and blocking each other without one side managing to get the upper hand. It was almost thirty minutes into the game and neither had yet managed to score.

"Ha! Not so easy!" "Wah!" "Nice block!" "Shut up!" "You are not supposed to lean onto the table!" "I don't care!" "Keep your hands on your half!" "I'm on my half!" "Watch this!" "Blocked!" "You blocked it with your hand!" "You didn't say I couldn't! Ha!" The disc went into Harry's side, "Noooo!" "Yesssss! Ha ha!!"

"Got you, Potter!" Draco fist bumped. He was flushed with his hair out of place, some plastered on his forehead. "Did you see that? I slammed that disc right in and you didn't even move!" Draco was waving his arms about and grinning unreservedly at Harry, who felt out of breath but not because of the game. "Yeah, you got me, Malfoy." He answered quietly with a smile. Draco looked like he was proud of having pushed a disc across a table into a hole, which was ridiculous, and Harry felt like… he felt like he watched someone he love made a first step at something, and it felt precious. He grinned stupidly at Draco.

"What's wrong with your face, Potter?" Draco smirked.

"N.. Nothing." But he couldn't wipe the smile off. "Come on, let's try another game, I'll let you pick."

"Okay... I-"

"That one's fine, but that one over there is much more fun."

"Harry, you said I could pick."

"Yes, I'm letting you pick. Go ahead. Just that you should know, that one, that one and that one are the most fun."

"Potter!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed this chapter. Hope you did too.
> 
> My grandma used to take me to the arcades when I was a pre-schooler. I miss her :)  
> My favourite games in order: Bumper car, Alley Roller and Air Hockey. I liked to try the basketball thing too but my arms weren't strong enough to do anything with the ball LOL


	10. Smartphones - Joy and Misery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why? Why not? - Aren't our lives full of that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you received a Ch. 10 update notice earlier last week but couldn't access it because 'the chapter was removed,' please check Ch. 9 and please give it some love if you have time.   
> The update email was probably an error because AO3 was having server problem when I posted Ch. 9. It got uploaded twice and sadly there was no update email for Ch. 9. 
> 
> And I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Wiping sweats off his forehead, Harry exited his dodgem. The adrenaline rush was making his hands and legs tremble. It was one hell of a ride. Literally. He was seriously considering if he should inform Snape of Draco's potential homicidal tendency.

"Merlin, Potter, dodge-them is the BEST game ever! I thought the Muggles were bonkers to invent a game that simulate fatal accidents, but Merlin! I can completely see the appeal of that now," Draco patted Harry's back hard as he voiced out his compliments, loudly. Fellow Muggle players, mostly teens and kids, were also exiting their dodgems and walking pass them, some giving Draco sidelong glances. One kid in particular was nervously alternating his teary stares between Draco and Harry with quivering lips.

 _Probably traumatized, poor kid._ Harry could swear Draco had unintentionally caused a power spike in the system, making the cars extra deadly.

"What are they staring at us for now?" Draco whispered as he pushed aside the iron gates to exit the arena. "Muggles are so weird."

"I'm sure they are staring at you only, but, yea," Harry laughed nervously, "they sure are weird, aren't they?" Harry shuddered as fathoms of Draco's maniacal laughs replayed in his ears.

_Of course they are staring, you fucking cray-cray._

"Anyway, we have spent the last of our tokens, right? Let's get going to the store," Harry grabbed Draco by his elbow and stirred them towards the exit.

"What, no, we still have over an hour, I still want to try out the other games," Draco protested with wide eyes.

"Uh, ha ha, let's do this again another time," Harry laughed weakly. _More like, another time never, if he had any say about it._ "We need to get prepared before we pick up the phone."

"We do?" Draco re-focused quickly and frowned in confusion. He was finger-combing his hair back in place, as if strands was ever out of place.

"Absolutely," Harry walked them faster towards the exit, "Why don't we find a secluded alleyway so you can Apparate us to where the store is at?"

"Sure…" Draco arched an eyebrow in suspicion but, luckily, went along.

Naturally, they went back to the alleyway they showed up at, and Apparated out there. Draco was right about Harry being out of practice, he felt less dizzy this time around. As they entered the shopping centre, Harry was quite happy to see that they still hadn't taken down the Christmas decorations. The green and luscious looking fake Christmas tree was three storeys high and decorated with sparkly crystals.  


"Oh, Swarovsky. They actually did a decent job," Draco gave his second compliment on Muggles today.

"Did the sun rise in the West today?" Harry queried.

"No, why? What's wrong with your brain, Potter," Draco frowned, thinking Harry was the absurd one.

"Nothing…," Harry decided not to elaborate. "Say, you don’t know much about smartphones, right? I mean, you don't even know that 'smartphones' is actually one word."

"No, it's not." Draco frowned, again. "And I know do know something about smartphones, just not a lot."

"Yes, it is, and what I'm trying to say is, you are probably going to bombard the poor salesperson with all kinds of questions, right?" As Draco opened his mouth to protest, Harry hurriedly added, "Not because you know nothing about the phones, of course not. But you are very dutiful and serious about the assignment, and you will do your best to find out everything about the phone."

"I guess…," Draco said uncertainly, not sure where this was going.

"Let's go to the men's room," Harry suggested suddenly, "We have some transfiguring to do."

"Care to explain why?" Draco crossed his arms.

"Look around you," Harry rolled his eyes, "What are the people who look your age doing?"

 _Since when did he get to roll his eyes at me so much?_ Draco thought. But he looked, nonetheless. He was surprised why he didn't notice before this moment, but almost every Muggle around them, all ages and sizes, are engaged with a smartphone in some ways. Especially men and women who looked his age, they were all busy typing away or talking on the phone without even looking where they were going.

"Well? Do you think anyone who look our age would need to ask any questions at all about a smartphone? Without being suspicious?" Harry impatiently prompted.

"No, I guess not," Draco grunted. How did he oversee that. "I see what you mean. So what do you have in mind?"

"I think I will have to transfigure you into an elderly," Harry tried to keep his face serious.

As much as Draco wanted to protest, and he felt he ought to too, he didn't. Harry actually made sense, and he hadn't thought he would live to the day he had to admit that. "Right. And you will be the properly dressed dutiful grandson buying a smartphone for his elderly grandfather?"

"Correct," Harry nodded, "but to be completely honest, this accessory" - he lifted his wrist and shook the snake bracelet - "does not match my outfit at all and I do feel nervous walking into a store like this. With the amount of questions you will need to ask, we will be under so much scrutiny like you have no idea."

"Actually, I can imagine, quite vividly." Setting his own dismay aside, Draco smirked and leaped at the chance to inflict the same misfortune on Harry, "and I have an idea what to do about that."

"Right…" It was Harry's turn to feel uneasy. And he was right to be.

They were quick to find an empty men's room and _Colloportus_ -ed it up then set to work. They worked on each other simultaneously to save time as they still wouldn't want any Muggles to even try turning the knob then calling security for help. Harry added wrinkles to Draco's smooth face and turned all his hair silver white, to which Draco remarked "Don't add too many wrinkles, Harry, I don't want to look even older than my father" which Harry totally ignored, and felt sharp pains at _ouch_ his nose and, _ouch_ his lips, and _ouch_ his ears - "Ouch - ouch! What are you doing, it hurts!" Harry exclaimed with watery eyes and quickly checked himself in the mirror.

"You added studs! And piercings!" He gasped. Draco's eyes met him in the mirror. He might look old but his eyes were still sharp. A warm smooth hand (ha, he'll have to do something about that) turned his face back towards Draco, who said, "I'm not done yet, and do something about my voice."

"Oh, I would do so much more than that," he retorted as he added an illusion charm to make Draco's voice breathier, and aged Draco's neck and hands, "We've got to make you properly old."

"Well" - Draco startled as he heard himself for the first time, and cleared his throat - "I have to make you properly delinquent, you see, it won't do us any good if the salesperson simply tell me to ask my grandson." Whatever Draco did, Harry couldn't feel any physical change, so he's glad there was no more new piercing. "There, I'm done." At that, Draco turned to the mirror to check himself before Harry could decide if he should add age spots to his skin, so Harry checked himself too again in the mirror.

He was astounded to see he now had black eyeliners and a proper smoky eye makeup. He stared without moving for a whole minute before he could move his gaze to his other transfigurations, and was shocked to see a half-shave on his right side, which completely highlighted his lightning scar, and showed off his three dark metal earrings. "Three? Draco? Three, like, one was too subtle?" To which he merely received a shrug from a rather composed Draco, who appeared completely unfazed at his own transformation and was adding age lines to his own eyes and mouth corners. Harry gingerly touched the piercings on his ear, then turned out his lower lip, and poked the one on his nose, "They are real!" And he checked his hair and touched the shaved part, "Oh no… oh no…" He saw from the corner of his eyes that Draco did a perfect eye roll despite his 'old age.' But something else caught his attention.

"You ripped my jeans! They are my favourite!" He exclaimed, touching the now black and ripped tight skinny jeans. He touched the frayed holes with a broken heart. "You ripped my jeans!"

"I'd like to think I did an improvement," Draco drawled with a bored expression. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"You changed my sneakers to black boots! With buckles! And so much studs I could kick someone to death!"

"And thank you too for putting so much thoughts into my transfiguration." Draco conjured a walking stick and receded his hairline, and made his own skin dryer, and did something to make his outfit appear more… worn. "And you do know that everything can be undone, right? Like what Muggles say, _it's just like magic_ ," he said with a mocking sing song tone.

Feeling chastised, Harry unlocked the door and held it out for Draco to pass.

At the store, the salesperson looked quite put off at having to serve Draco, obviously anticipating a lot of questions and, looking at Harry, figured that he would have no help from the 'delinquent grandson.'

Harry wandered in the background while the salesperson, nametagged Jerry, unboxed two smartphones and turned them on to examine them, then went over the basics with Draco. He pretended to be playing with the other computers and music players nearby, while Draco decided it was the right moment to start bombing Jerry with so many questions he was not the confused aged person he was supposed to be. Instead, he was more like a sharp-minded aged businessman who somehow knew nothing about smartphones. Sighing internally, Harry continued to hover in the background and shot Jerry and _his grandfather_ annoyed glances once in a while, playing his role. He heard Draco asked about SIM cards, carriers, data limit and connection speed, and he even asked about terms that Jerry didn't mention, like 'Facebook' and 'Whatsapp' and 'Four G' even Harry himself was impressed. And Jerry was so dismayed that this _old man_ wouldn't let him get off the hook when he replied with canned phrases like 'please check with your service provider.' Harry found himself listening with rapt attention as Draco skilfully persisted for answers patiently and politely, half because he also didn't know about the things that Jerry was explaining, half because he could take a note from Draco's book and never let Tom avoid his questions.

When they finally paid and stepped out of the store, Harry threw an apologetic smile at the completely hollowed and exhausted looking Jerry who was waving them goodbye.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you are going to start your own mobile service business." Harry commented.

"Who says I weren't?" Draco arched an eyebrow as if Harry was the absurd one.

"Fair point," Harry concurred for a lack of better things to say for that was true. Draco practically came from a line of wealthy family who was literally at the top of their wizarding world. They had their own businesses and vast investments and a huge vault and literally did not need to work. It was funny how he could easily forget that, what with the current generation of Malfoys serving the Dark Lord as Death Eaters. He sighed as he thought about how they were all chained to Tom, to Voldemort, in different ways.

_Why is Draco okay with all this? Has he surrendered into accepting this life? Is this all that is left of our lives - whining about it in private, doing nothing to change it?_

_Pop-pop_

Harry felt two familiar magical disturbances.

 _Chained by our necks to satisfy the beck and calls of one man._ Harry felt his own breathing quickened. _Who gave him the rights to do so anyway._ He heard Draco calling his name. _Why should I let him?_ He clenched his jaw in anger. _Why did he let him?_ Then an idea came into his mind. He thought of what he only researched this morning on the computer for fun, it seemed like a fantasy then. _But why should it be?_ No. _How many times have I thought about doing things but didn't put them into action over the past years._ What about the children? _Since when did I let myself be satisfied just fantasying about what I want to do._ Enough.

"Harry?" Draco grabbed his arm and he looked at him, startled, before looking around them. They were in an empty men's room. "Are you okay? Harry?" He looked back at Draco and saw worry marring his features. Draco shook him by his shoulders. "Harry, let's change back first, okay?"

 _Enough_.

"I'm sorry, Draco," Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and saw grey silver eyes widen before he, for the first time in years, _Apparated_.


	11. Smartphones - Your Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was Harry's fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I had some trouble how to start this chapter and how it would end. And a flu and a lazy holiday and another flu but who cares. Then there was a bunch of other stuff...
> 
> I heard dear author (you, yes, you) of the main story is gonna be too busy for an update (which is great, no offense, cos that means less time you have to plunge us into another chapter of pain) so what better time to stock up some Drarry?

The _Apparation_ was nothing like what Harry remembered. Everything was horribly wrong.

Instead of a _pop_ and the feeling of whirling in black space, there was a loud _bang!_ and the whirling was instead a series of nauseating turns, throwing them left and right and bumping into invisible walls. Harry squeezed his eyes shut and held on tightly to Draco. He couldn't hear Draco to see if he's okay. His arms and back hurts, and there were more loud bangs and flashes of blinding white light. It was like they were being thrown around in a white twisting tube.

Draco's arms around his waist was too tight and it hurt, amid everything, and he pressed Draco's head harder down onto his shoulder. Draco was definitely murmuring, or simply groaning just like Harry from the jerks and pain.

It seemed to go on forever but suddenly everything stopped. Harry's body still hurt all over, but he could feel they were simply standing - Merlin knows where - in a tight embrace. There were hard but swaying _things_ pressing lightly into them all around, and he hear rustling of dry leaves. Before he had opened his eyes, he was pushed away.

Harry staggered backwards with wide eyes and saw that they were surrounded by stalks and stalks of tall yellow grass _,_ or whatever, he was no ' _plant expert.'_ _Grass_ as tall as him and Draco, or even taller _._ He didn't - couldn't - fall onto his arse because sturdy stalks pressed against his back. He grabbed left and right onto the nearest stalks to regain his balance, and he saw his arms had bad scraps and some places had long angry red lines of blood, probably the skin there was broken.

 _This is bad._ Harry thought. _This is not where I was Apparating to._

A few feet in front of him, Draco was checking his own clothes and injuries. It seemed that his suit, now very torn, suffered most of the damage. Harry was relieved. He started stepping towards Draco. Draco had pushed him away, maybe in frustration, maybe in annoyance, he could feel anger rolling off the aggressively muttering blond, but wherever they are, Harry wanted to… He didn't know what he wanted to do, he didn’t even remember where he wanted to go but right now, he felt he should stay close with Draco. Even though standing near a Malfoy in bad mood is a very bad idea. Even though Draco right now didn't looked like he was in a bad mood. Draco looked like he was _royally pissed._

"Fuck this shit. Fuck!" Draco bursted out. Harry slowed but kept moving, and chewed his lips in anticipation of what's to come. "Why do you have to fuck it up?" Draco shrugged off his torn jacket angrily and wiped a hand across his face, breathing hard through his nose. He looked around them with a grimace and threw the jacket hard on the ground, "Fuck!"

Harry started, "Dra---"

Draco bent down with hands on knees and shrieked at the muddy ground, "Shut! The! Fuck! Up!"

Harry heard distant flaps of wings as birds were startled and took flight. He was standing in front of an angrily heaving Draco now. He pondered what to say. It was his fault. Something went wrong, he did not know what yet, but it was his fault.

Harry sighed heavily as he casted healing spells on his arms and face where it stung. Looking left and right, all he saw was tall thick yellow grass. As far as he could tell, they were standing - or arguing - in a field.

_Well, if it had went right, we could be snuggling up in a cozy hotel room right now._

"I said, shut up!" Draco stood up and glared at him.

"Uh… sorry, did I say that out loud?" Harry chewed his cheek as Draco shot him killing curses by glaring. Unblinkingly. Harry was too tensed to breath, or move, or blink. It was an intense staring contest.

Eventually, Draco's breathing slowed down, and he broke eye contact in favour of his signature eye roll. Harry could breathed again.

Draco pulled out his wand and Harry tensed again.

"Relax," Draco muttered exhaustedly and began casting to mend his shirt and trousers, and opened his left palm.

"Your hand is bleeding," Harry reached out and caught his wrist, "Let me heal it."

"I can do it myself," Draco knocked Harry's wand away with his own.

And that's when Harry noticed there were curved pieces of broken glass in Draco's palm. And he understood.

"You…," Harry gasped. No, it couldn't be… but yes, Harry could feel it now. The magical signature. But no, it couldn't be. But yes, it's plain as daylight.

"Yes. I," Draco answered as his wound was magically cleaned, glass shreds lifted out and skin mended. He put his wand away and continued with a bored voice, "Care to finish your sentence, Potter?"

"What?" Harry was lost in his thoughts. Why would he do that? Why would _Tom_ do that?

"Did you think I would not be prepared?" Draco said without looking at him in favour of the muddy ground. "You were a freaking time-bomb. I knew that better than anyone."

"So you asked him for that?" Harry croaked out. It was not betrayal, but it still hurt. "You don't trust me."

"I didn't have to. He asked for my assessment, and made me make an Unbreakable Vow, Harry. You should be surprised the fuss he made out of this. Summoned me out of the blue last week, made me take the ball and recite the chanting for a whole afternoon. However, I would not say I really did expected this." Draco said tiredly.

And of course he would be tired. Using the Rememberall would be exhausting. It was something Harry made, _with Tom_ , on an exceptionally _good_ day. He recalled soft laughs, chats, and sweet scent of Lily flowers. The soft touches as they poured their own magic into the Rememberall. It started as a joke, an off-handed comment, that their magic could never bond well. But the Rememberall never broke. Their magic strains swirled, intertwined, red and green. Harry didn't know Tom had kept it. That would be so uncharacteristic of him. So _sentimental._ So _weak._

Harry shook his head trying to shake the memory out of his mind.

_Not weak. It was yet another weapon, to be used against Harry himself._

"So _you_ interrupted the _Apparation_ ," Harry barked a laugh.

"Technically, it's still you." Draco huffed, " _Half_ of that was you." Draco's eyes flashed with emotion that Harry couldn't understand.

"I bet you had one hand on it in your pocket the whole day, just waiting for me to make a sudden move." Harry snarled. "One wrong move, bam!" Harry clapped his hands for effect. Draco jerked in surprise. "Who was I kidding, to think that you…" Harry pulled at his hair. That hurt, but it hurt elsewhere too.

"I what," Draco looked at him with a perfect blank mask. "Learn to finish your sentences, Potter."

"I---"

_Pop. Pop._

Both of them turned to the direction where they felt that disturbance. Draco was taking out his wand again, Harry followed suit. "Thought you would be glad to see them?" Harry sneered.

"Well, you thought wrong." Draco tried to peek through the tall and dense grass. What was he trying to do anyway?

"Didn't know you can see through grass, Malfoy."

"Quiet!" Draco elbowed Harry. "And these are corn, not _grass_."

_Oh._

"Where are we anyway?" Harry whispered.

"I said, quiet!" Draco whispered back, forcefully.

And Harry did so. Only because they could hear the Death Eaters talking. Harry really didn't want to be found. As for what Draco was doing, well, he had no idea.

"You sure this is where they went?" There was rustling of leaves and they could see the plants moving where those two were walking.

"The trace says so." Another voice answered, "Oh come on! A corn field? What are they doing?"

Draco smirked meaningfully at Harry, who replied with an eye roll.

"Well, better find them fast. The Dark Lord won't be happy."

"Oh _the Dark Lord won't be happy._ When is he ever 'happy'? _"_

Harry could hear the air quotes.

"Seriously? First a beach, getting sand in my shoes, now a muddy corn field. What are they doing, seriously? Corn picking?"

"Seriously, I don't care. Just find them. They weren't supposed to Apparate this far out of London. We have to take them back to the ---"

"Yes yes, I know! But seriously, can't we just let them enjoy this little outing? It just feels wrong to ---"

"To what? I dare you to say it."

The duo was getting closer, Harry could almost make out their black robes between the corn. "Seems like not only you are unable to finish your sentences these days," whispered Draco. Harry just shushed him back.

"You know what I mean. These two." Ten feet. "Everyone is practically saying the same thing about them. Seriously, don't pretend you don't know. I'm telling you, this is wrong." Seven feet.

"Seriously seriously seriously. I didn't heard any of that, you hear me?" Five feet. Harry was glad the corn was tall. "I say for your own good, you'd better wipe all those out of your tiny head too before you lose your head! Now focus, and find the trace!" Two feet.

" _Petrifisco!_ " Harry shot the spell at the duo. Their faces of surprise turned immobile as did their bodies and then they slowly turned into rock. "Didn't know carving realistic gothic horror statues was your new found interest, Potter." Draco commented behind him as Harry was pocketing his wand. Draco even touched one of the statues gingerly. Harry never did that to the plants he practiced on, it made him felt queasy.

"I'm impressed," Draco didn't sound sarcastic for once. "I heard this spell takes much focus and precision. You have to turn the outer most layer into rock, too thin, it breaks, too thick, it dies. Impressive, Potter. I can feel his heart thumping inside." Draco now had that crazed look he got whenever he learnt new potion knowledge, his face would get flushed pink and he would babble. Harry had seen it a million times, but he never got tired of it. "The _Petrifisco_ is different from the other stunning or petrifying spells in that it not only totally restrict movement, it also takes away the senses. The person will not be able to hear, see, smell, feel or taste. And if not released in time, the person will, as the spell says, turn into stone. It is believed that Muggle myths Medusa and the Snow Queen originated from dark witches using the _Petrifisco_ spell." Drawing a deep breath, Draco turned around to face Harry with a bright unguarded grin. "This is most impressive, Harry!"

That did funny things to Harry's heart, as always. He remembered Draco babbling on excitedly about new potions or healing spells in his study. It's been so long. "Yes, Draco, I know." Harry reached out and swiped his thumb across Draco's flushed cheeks.

"Oh. Em. Yes," Draco blinked rapidly at the touch. Harry could feel Draco composing himself again, but thankfully he didn't move away. "Yes, of course you would know all that. You cast the spell, after all." Draco's lips were still babbling.

Harry traced his fingers on soft pink lips, "Yes, Draco, I did." Harry gasped as he thought he imagined something soft and wet lapped at his fingertips. "Draco, where are we?"

"What?" Draco was look at Harry's lips. Harry stepped close, so very close, his lips were brushing at his fingers on Draco's lips. He could count soft blond eye lashes on Draco's eyes. He could see greyish-blue iris thinning, black pupil dilating, drawing him in. He cupped Draco's face, "Where did you take us?" Harry whispered against Draco's lips.

"A corn field." Draco swallowed thickly.

"And where is this corn field?" It was important that Harry know. Before he began.

"In Wiltshire." Draco turned to brush his lips against Harry's. Harry couldn't stop himself huffing in amusement. "Don't tell me, near the Manor?"

"Yes. Yes. Harry," Draco held onto Harry's sides, but Harry wasn't quite kissing him yet. Instead, he pulled Draco tight against him, and leaned backward. "Harry… We will fall." "Then we will fall." Draco's full weight fell onto Harry, and Harry fell onto corn or leaves or grass. Harry pushed them back up with one hand pushing on the ground, the other wrapped around Draco's waist, fingers tracing where his shirt was tucked in. Draco was straddling Harry, with hands on his shoulder, nosing his cheek and looking into his eyes with fierce desire. "I bet you got mud all over my pants and shoes now." He breathed against Harry's jaw. "Trust you to care about stuff like that at moments like this." "Oh, Harry." Draco tighten his grip as if it would help him hold onto his self-restrain. Harry turned trying to capture those lips without success. "So, you are saying, your dad might just show up any minute?" Oh the things he wanted to do with Draco. But first, he had got to know. "Draco?" "What?... Yes… No… Harry, stop this." Harry shushed and rubbed Draco's small back, and Draco groan, "Harry, what are we doing?" He said with frustration as he inhaled at the croak of his neck. "We are close to the Manor?" "Yes, Harry, now shut up."

That was answer enough, they were near the Manor, and that was enough information.

Harry pulled Draco in, and kissed him, on his lips.

It was chaste, and brief.

Draco pressed his forehead to Harry's, their noses touching, and Harry could feel Draco's breathing as he said, "Your fault, Harry. It’s all your fault."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please point out my typos/mistakes. And let me just use a cliche: Comments are love!
> 
> Thank you for reading and waiting. Yes, sorry for the wait...


	12. Smartphones - Love Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some actions. Finally. But... oh well.

"Yea?" Harry whispered, not opening his eyes. They were so close to each other, basking in their body warmth.

"Mhmm," Draco nodded minutely, rubbing his forehead on Harry's. "Oh, Harry," he breathed. Despite the tenderness of the kiss and the soft words and the mild breeze and distant birds chirping, Draco's body was tense under Harry's touch.

"Draco," Harry leaned up again trying to capture soft lips, but Draco pulled away with stiff hands pushing at his shoulders. "No, Harry," he said, with downcast eyes and a frown, "we can't."

"We can't," Harry echoed dryly. He paused his mouth, looking at Draco's eyes, his arms tightened on Draco's back. Draco pushed harder at his shoulders, squirming to put some distance between their bodies.

"We can't." He uttered, looking torn. "I can't. Let me go, Harry…"

"You can't?" Harry buried his head on Draco's chest and muffled his humorless laughs. Draco stopped his struggling and froze, not wanting to agitate the situation further.

"Harry…," he tried, "I…"

"No, you can't." Harry looked back up at Draco with disheveled hair and moist eyes, "You can't, or you won't?"

A few seconds of silence. "I can't," Draco whispered, soft but firm. He wiped his thumbs across Harry's cheeks but Harry moved his head away. "Harry…"

"You can't." Harry repeated yet again, but the undercurrent was more palatable this time. "You can't. Like, you can't save me?" He huffed a humorless laugh, eyes striking Draco's. "Like, you can't stop him?" Draco gulped and looked away, but Harry grabbed his chin and forced him to face him."Like, you can't stop me?" And Harry crushed his mouth on Draco's, it was brutal, biting, it hurt. Draco squirmed and tried to push Harry away again, but Harry's strong grip was forcing his head to turn as he desired, and he inhaled sharply as Harry bit and broke his lower lip. Draco shivered in pleasure and groaned at the needle sharp pain as Harry sucked on the wound and licked up the blood. He could feel Harry also shivered from the act, he could see green irises further disappearing behind dilating pupils. He heard himself whimper as Harry huffed and mouthed his jaw, "I could taste your magic on my tongue," Harry whispered at his ears, "I can do this forever." Draco's reasoning was quickly giving way to desire, he struggled to held on. Their breathing rushed, heavy and uneven. "Harry…" Draco clawed at Harry's jaw desperately, and protested between harsh kisses and bites, "Harry...," he gasped, "Think of… Astoria…" Just as Draco lost track of whether he was trying to pull Harry in or push him away, Harry froze, lips at the corner of Draco's quivering mouth. Draco gasped and managed another quiet protest, "And Scorpius…" He pushed Harry again, and Harry let him this time.

As Harry leaned back down on the leaves and mud, he grabbed Draco's trembling wrists and held onto them, pressing them against his chest. There was the sound of rustling leaves in the wind, and a few crickets, and the sound of their breathing gradually slowing down.

Draco was looking at Harry now, but Harry was no longer looking at Draco. He was staring up at the sun set sky, absently stroking Draco's wrists with soft fingers.

Draco was suddenly very conscious of the fact that he was straddling Harry's hip, with his crotch. He couldn't help but squirm again, feeling ridiculous that gentle touches on his wrists were affecting him stronger than the kisses. He was pulled out of his own thoughts by a harsh laugh. "Merlin, Draco," Harry was looking at him again. He felt his face heat up. "Are you getting hard?" Harry rolled his hips up to rub against Draco's crotch, his devilish smirk turned too smug at Draco's sharp answering gasp.

Draco clawed and grabbed tight on Harry's shirt, trying to hold onto his sanity. Harry kept rolling his hips and their hard-ons brushed against each other, separated by layers of clothes. "Harry… Ugh…," Draco moaned involuntarily, and bit on his lips to stop himself moaning again like a teenager. He heard Harry laugh.

"Harry!" He pulled his wrists out of Harry's grasp and collapsed onto Harry, cradling his head, stroking black thick unruly hair. He buried his head at the croak of his neck, inhaling his scent. "Harry… this is not a game we can play."

He was met with silence, nothing other than warm hands on his back.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him." He rushed out.

"What about stopping me?" Harry asked with a chuckle, hands rubbing up and down his spine. Draco felt like he could melt right then.

He closed his eyes and answered softly, "I won't stop you."

He felt Harry reach up to grab his hands, pressing a soft kiss on his temple, and then he was flipped over with hands trapped above his head and was straddled. He kept his eyes closed.

"Not even going try?" Harry taunted, couldn't help himself. It's not every day he could have the smug blond so tamed. "Don't you think, maybe you should?" Draco frowned and blinked open his eyes, meeting greens. "For Astoria?" He taunted with a sinful roll of his hips, Draco bared his throat and stifled a moan. "For Scorpius?" Another roll, another whimper. Harry leaned in close to his ears, "For your beloved parents?" Draco's whole body jerked awake with a sharp inhale and he stared up at Harry with wide eyes. "How could you forget about them, Draco?" Harry smirked down at him while rolling his hips, sliding their hard-ons together. Draco started to wiggle his wrists out of Harry's firm grip, "Ugh…" He shook his head left and right, while his hips undulated in response to Harry. Harry kept on rolling his hips relentlessly, enjoying the blond underneath him being torn between reasons and lust.

He let out an airy laugh as he took in the sinful sight. Draco's eyes were hooded and looking at him, lost in his own desire, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, wrists weakly struggling, and hips chasing after carnal pleasure. Soft whimpers of moans and pleads escaping his abused red lips. The small bite wound on his lips reopened as he chewed on his own lips, and blood trailed slowly down his jaw, to his neck. Harry felt ever powerful as his lovely blond lying beneath him fully clothed, but debauched.

"Yes, fight me, Draco." Harry licked the blood up from his chin, feeling the vibration as Draco moaned, savoring the taste of Draco's magic tingling like pop rocks on his tongue. He huffed in amusement and sat up again, still rolling his hips as his own arousal so demanded.

"But we really can't have you fighting, can we?" He trailed his fingers on Draco's lips, and pushed them in to find a soft wet tongue. He coaxed Draco's tongue out to play, the blond lapping and sucking his fingers.

"Don't hate me for this, Draco." Draco's eyes sharply refocused. " _Exhauriosa_." And Draco's wrists tugged trying to pull out of his grasp as his body went rigid with pain and red lips parted wide to let out a high pitched shriek. Harry smirked and gently caressed Draco face as he could feel Draco's magic sucked out of him by the spell, and simply flowing and leaking out of his twitching screaming body, dissipating into thin air like a bucket of dry ice opened on a sunny hot day. "Shhhh," he hushed as Draco continued to scream, remembering the _Crucio._ "I think that will do," standing up, Harry cast another spell, " _Spatimus._ "

A transparent cube enclosed them, letting in the outside light and sound, but not the other way around. Draco's cry of pain turned into softer broken shouts and grunts, and his body shook once or twice more before everything went quiet, relatively quiet. His laboured breathing filled the room as he watched Harry transfigure corns and leaves into something resembling a dimly lit hotel room.

"What… are you… doing?" Harry had to give him extra credit as the blond managed to find his voice after such a brutal spell. Harry kept on conjuring a dark red carpet floor, a white chandelier ceiling, a mahogany bed side lamp. "Quite obvious, I would think?"

There was a soft thump as Draco let his head fall back onto the… bed. He was lying on an emerald green bed, much like the Slytherin color. It was no use talking to Harry when he's like that. He wanted to rub his eyes clear and found his wrists restrained. Looking up, they were bounded to the headboard by two intertwined silver snakes. "Trying to recreate the Slytherin dormitory?" That actually earned him an amused side-way glance from Harry, but no more. "For the record, I object to the carpet floor, a bit Gryffidor for my taste." He had to distract Harry from further spell works, he had no idea what's going on and he needn't try to know he has been drained of his magic, twice in a month. The only thing that's helping is that he didn't fill like dying like last time, but other than that, he's defenseless, and Harry… is being Harry. He had to distract Harry from finishing whatever contraption he's making, hopefully there is a loophole in this… space that he could exploit.

"There is no escape, Draco." Harry was sauntering towards him, green eyes predatory. "I don't do spells half-arsed, not anymore." He sat down on the bed next to Draco, with one leg folded on the bed, so he could lean in close to the blond.

Draco glared daggers at Harry weakly from his flat lying position. "Oh, let's have you sit up properly. I do like your glare full on." Harry waved his wand and the snakes pulled up, dragging Draco up and back into a sitting position with another grunt of discomfort. "What are you doing, Harry! You are going to get us into trouble!" He scolded.

"Us? I thought it was just Astoria, Scorpius and your parents?" Harry countered.

"Stop, Harry, get us back to the palace while you can, it's almost time," Draco tried calmly although he didn't know the exact time, the dark sky was a big hint.

"Stop? Draco, you can't stop me, you said so yourself just now. I just want to do what I want, for a short little while." Gripping his chin, Harry turned Draco's face towards him and leaned in to lick on his broken lips. Draco inhaled sharply in pain. "Sorry," Harry said apologetically, "I probably shouldn't keep sucking on the same wound repeatedly." "Did you plan this?" Draco needed to find out more. "No. I mean, yes, this morning, but I didn't thought I could do it." "At the library?" "What? You thought I was looking at hotels for fun?" Harry stroked his lips, "It's not like I can do any travelling. You should know." Draco tried to calm himself down.

_This is not good. Harry is a true Gryffindor, he doesn't plan, or he sticks to plan poorly. And now this is not even a plan. He can't anticipate what his impulses would do next._

"What do you want to do to me?" _Would this be too blunt? Merlin, he's turning into a Gryffindor._

Harry touched his wand to Draco's throat. _Shit_. "Well, right now, I would really like to…," Harry hung his head and his body shook with a dry laugh, " _Sectumsempra._ " Draco gasped and groaned in pain as his neck was cut open, shallowly.

 _Thank Merlin_.

"Try not to squirm, Draco, I'm focusing real hard not slicing you open," Harry said shakily, excited, as his wand glided down Draco's neck, and cut open his shirt. The cut was so thin and shallow it felt part pain, part itch. Blood was oozing out of the fresh wound, soaking his white shirt with an angry red trail. The revolting scent of iron and musk filled the room. Draco had thought he had got used to the idea of blood after years of tending to Harry.

Draco's breathing quickened as he felt his own neck wet with his own blood. He looked into Harry's eyes and tried to find clues of what is going to happen next. Harry simply smirked in response and leaned in, a hand balancing himself on the bed, the other holding the tip of his wand with the index finger pressing it onto Draco's skin, cutting him while moving down to this chest. His shirt and vest was cut open in the middle, and there was the maddening feeling of itchiness and sharp pain as skin broke under the wand. Harry waved the ruined clothes to the side, and blood oozed out of the cut, bright red against pale skin.

"Beautiful, don't you think?" Harry had the audacity to ask.

"Maybe, if you were not painting on my skin with my fucking blood!" Draco spat.

Harry titled his head and hummed in response. "Fair enough," he said, before leaning down, and down, and stuck his tongue out while smiling, eyes not leaving Draco's. It was apparent what was to come next, and Draco felt himself uncontrollable looking forward to it.

As soft warm tongue met his skin, Draco breathed in shakily as he drown in sensations of pain and arousal. "Hmm…" Harry licked and sucked as his index finger pushed his wand around randomly on his chest, sometimes cutting, sometimes not. Draco was slowly losing his sanity as rough scratches from the wand intermixed with the itch of sharp pain.

"Ha… Didn't… Ugh…," Draco tried between gasps while looking at Harry, Harry grinned like a cat who got the cream, he could feel his breathing on his chest. "Didn't know you had vampire tendencies." He rushed out, kicking out a leg to knock Harry off to no prevail. Harry simply looked entertained by the half-hearted struggle, and climbed onto the bed. He nestled under his jaw, and hooked a strong leg around Draco's. "Hmmm, I didn't either," Harry murmured as he licked up Draco's jaw and on the shell of his ear. Draco heard Harry's quiet laugh, the wet sound from his licking, and his own involuntary moans. It was crazy. He should be feeling alarmed, alerted. Not squirming in mixed pleasure. But his thoughts were thrown out the metaphoric window as a hot soft tongue travelled into the shell of his ear. "Ha…ugh… Harry…," Draco arched up and exposed his throat, where dried blood broke and torn at his wound bringing small grounding pain. He couldn't hear his own moan, as the wet sound of an exploring soft tongue overwhelmed his senses. "Ha… This isn't… you," Draco turned his head away, but Harry was practically draped on him, his bounded wrists hurt from supporting both their upper body weight. Harry didn't force Draco, "Hmm… do you know me?" Instead he pushed himself up with an elbow with his head close to his Draco's chest, and half kneeling with one leg folded. Harry continued exploring and cutting Draco's chest with the wand, which made Draco notice with a grimace that there were thin curling trails cut on his chest. _Healing with Dittany is going to be a bitch,_ Draco thought, breathing heavily with a renewed focus on rough wood scratching his skin and the occasional sharp pain. Harry hummed with a small grin then trailed his tongue after his wand. Where the wand touched, it felt rough, then there was pain, then there was soft press of warmth, and a cooling trail after. "Fucking Circe!" Draco arched in annoyance.

The wand was drifting and circling around a nipple. As Harry lifted his wand from his skin and traced the circular cut with his tongue, Draco arched up trying to press harder into the touch, which earned him a chuckle, and a warm puff of air hit his hard perky nipple, sending shivers down and down to his crouch. He rolled his hips up, finding no purchase, "Fuck…" He moaned in frustration but he gasped and tensed immediately as Harry pressed the tip of his wand hard on his nipple. He exhaled with a shudder, 'Harry… no…" "It does get you excited, doesn't it? Not knowing what will happen, not being in control." Harry smirked at him, twisting his wand harder into his sensitive nipple, Draco hissed, shaking his head.

"No?" Harry flicked his wand up and down the abused red stub, while he pushed himself up and put a leg across Draco, moving in to sit on his body. "Ugh…," Draco arched up again, as Harry sat right on top of his hardened cock. He could feel Harry was just as excited.

_Damn these pants._

"You got that right, Draco," Harry laughed airily. _Shit._ "Oh, I did get better at Legilimency these days, I have so much idle time loitering around indoors. Told you it is bad," Harry shrugged, "Well, bad for you, and… for Tom, I guess. And all those guards and Death Eaters," he waved his wand around as he spoke nonchalantly, pressing the heel of his other hand on Draco's ribs as lever to rock his hard cock back and forth against Draco's, ignoring Draco's whimpers and groans, the rough drag of their pants and trousers bringing extra friction. "Ha… Delicious, oh sweet Merlin," Harry threw back his head in pleasure, his Adam's apple throbbed as his murmured and gulped. "Harry…," Draco undulated under Harry, gasping and moaning his name, "Harry…" "Yes, like that, don't you…," Harry rocked long and hard, looking down into watery silver blue eyes and wiped Draco's sweaty forehead with the wand between his fingers. He bit his lips and lifted up from the sweet friction, and grinned as Draco pulled at the silver snakes with a groan, "Sorry, Draco, we _can't_." Blinking back tears, Draco had never seen a smile so cruel. _Fuck you!_ Harry chuckled and answered, "You would like that now, wouldn't you?" As he backed down Draco's legs, and cut his buckle, his pants, and, as Draco tensed and hissed again, down the side of his crotch. "Do you think I should lick it?" Harry asked with a mischievous smile.

Harry spread Draco's torn pants apart, releasing his long hard cock. Draco sucked in a quick breath as cool air met hot skin. "I heard it hurts when he calls with the Mark." Harry commented as he leaned down, breathing on his cock. "What…," Draco was confused, all he cared about right now, was getting his cock in Harry's mouth.

" _Tempus_ ," Harry cast, bright blue neon light floated next to his head.

_21:00._

"Oh no," Draco uttered as he started feeling his Mark warming, "Harry, you've got to let me go…Ughnnn." His urging stopped by a gasp as Harry licked down the cut at was so close to his cock. "Harry!"

Harry licked up his shaft. "Ugh!" Draco cried in pain and in pleasure, as his Mark was starting to feel too hot to his liking, "No… Harry… ughnnn…!" He pulled at the snakes again, but they tightened on him.

_Oh no. Oh no._

Draco pulled on them hard, tucking with all the strengths he could summon, while Harry wrapped wet lips around the tip of his cock, and he could feel an velvety tongue sliding across the sensitive hole, making him arch off the bed and thrust into wet heat with a groan of pleasure, but quickly overrode with burning pain, "Ughhhh! Harrrrry!" The burn from the Mark was winning, "Harry, please stop!"

_It hurts!_

Draco shook his head powerlessly, a weakling trapped between the tug of war of two most powerful wizards alive. "Ahhh!" Blinking tears from his eyes, Draco looked up at his forearm he kept shouting and struggling, "Ahhhh! Harry!" The snakes so tight his wrists feel like breaking, but nothing could compare to the Dark Mark's burn. "Harry! Please! Please stop!" The Dark Mark was bright orange, and he could feel it burns like white hot branding iron, there was no escape.

_It hurts so much._

He tugged at the snakes and thrashed his legs. "Harry! Harry!" With free flowing tears blurring his vision, he started to hear his skin sizzle.

_PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!_

"HAARRRRYYY!" He shrieked with all his remaining strength.

He felt his arms drop, then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my humble opinion, it's a shame that Draco didn't get to enjoy it properly.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read and to comment. :)


	13. Smartphones (Artwork)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I should be writing instead.

 

> _Draco's robes were now dishevelled, but he clearly had put in effort as usual. He was wearing a shiny pair of ombre grey brogues today with dim grey linen pants that clad nicely to his legs, matched with a plain white shirt with a cornflower blue tie. The top cloak, a lovely dove grey with silver paisley embroidery all over, had black inner lining and a rather large hood dropped to the back, which Harry thought made Draco look younger. The small pearl ball button at the cloak collar had popped loose from the blond's earlier wild movements, and so the luscious fabric simply parted to the sides and pooled around him, who was now sitting with hands on arm rests, legs spread, face up towards the ceiling, eyes closed, and muttering, perhaps in a quiet prayer to a higher power. Though the higher power might just be Harry himself as he could catch whispers of "Potter" and variations of the f-bomb which would expand Harry's lexical resources. Harry was not trying very hard to discern the words, however, as he was more distracted by the exposed pale long neck with a throbbing Adam's apple._

 


	14. Tea Time Torment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco has sneaked Harry out for afternoon tea in disguise.
> 
> A gift to dear SilverAngel621.  
>   
> Credit: Chibi style inspired by [Cremebunny](http://cremebunny.tumblr.com/), her Drarry chibis are extremely adorable. Please check out her works on Tumblr and all art platforms. I have never drawn chibi style before, I wouldn't have been able to learn it without Cremebunny.

> "Change me back right now, Draco! I don't even like pink, it's Astoria's thing!"
> 
> "Change you back? Do you have any idea how much trouble I have gone through to sneak you out? Imagine the attention and chaos that would most definitely ruin this wonderful moment if you show your real face here right now."
> 
> "In case you haven't notice, that table over there has already noticed me! That green rabbit is pointing at me like I'm an animal at the zoo, even though he's a rabbit himself, and... are those HEART SHAPED EYES?!"
> 
> "Calm down, Potter."
> 
> "You didn't even disguise my scar, MY SIGNATURE LIGHTNING SCAR! In case you haven't notice, my identity basically consist of my round glasses AND THE LIGHTNING SCAR."
> 
> "Well, I didn't know you could still be recognised when only half of your identity remains. It literally cannot happen."
> 
> "What's this place anyway? Why is the waiter a Buzz Bunny? Is he gonna take our orders by saying 'What's up, doc?'"
> 
> "It might have also escaped your attention that our order, by which I mean my pre-order, has already been served."
> 
> "What the hell are these." "Cakes." "That wasn't a question." "And yet I answered. Consider yourself enlightened."
> 
> "Let's address the elephant in the room."
> 
> "There are only rabbits, do you not notice, Draco?"
> 
> " _Harry_ , that's a fox right there."
> 
> "What's the elephant then? And should I even bother asking why everyone has become a rabbit?"
> 
> "The elephant: Are you going to eat a cake? And I thought you would never ask, it's quite ingenius really. Harry, why do you think that is?"
> 
> "No, are you? And, why don't you enlighten me on that too?"
> 
> "No, of course not, don't be ridiculous. I mean the cakes. Now, notice how there are only four tables in this seemingly boundless space? And how we are unable to hear anything - not even the murmurs from a _Muffliato_  other than our conversation? What does that tell you?"
> 
> "Complete privacy?"
> 
> "Who are you and what have you done with the real Harry Potter?"
> 
> "So, you are saying that, I'm being identified as Harry Potter even though I look like a rabbit with a lightning scar?"
> 
> "I am not saying that, Harry, you are."
> 
> "What are we doing not eating the cakes we came here for?"
> 
> "Who said anything about cakes. I just thought it might be fun to turn you into a girl and put you in Astoria's dress."
> 
> "The  _Amortentia_ fumes are suffocating me, can we go?"
> 
> "Yes, le--- _HACHOO--_ " "Shall I enlighten you about Karma in return?" "Shut up, Potter." "Now I'm Potter again?"
> 
>  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D Comments are spiritual food. :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Please let me know if there is anything in particular that was confusing to you, or if you liked a particular line/scene, or if there is parts that you wish elaborated or improved.  
> Plot/scenario suggestions are welcome too.


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